President Donald J. Trump awarded NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor Friday for their service during the Artemis II mission. He presented the awards during a ceremony at NASAâs Johnson Space Center in Houston, honoring the first medal recipients since 2023.
NASAâs historic Artemis II mission launched on April 1, and splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean on April 10. The crew members were the first astronauts to launch on the agencyâs SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, flying aboard NASAâs Orion spacecraft, which the crew named Integrity. During their record-setting mission, the astronauts traveled 252,756 miles from Earth, farther than any humans have traveled before, surpassing a previous record set by Apollo 13 astronauts in 1970. In total, they flew 695,081 miles, including a lunar flyby.
âWe gather on these historic grounds to celebrate the immense courage of four intrepid space heroes whose sense of daring and adventure led them further from Earth than anyone has ever traveled ever before,â said President Trump. âToday weâre proudly awarding the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the remarkable crew of Artemis II. These astronauts did not do it alone. I want to salute all of the engineers, and scientists, launch and landing specialists, everyone at NASA who helped make this mission a great success.â
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by Congress in 1969 to recognize an astronaut who in the performance of duties has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally brave and meritorious efforts, and contributions to the welfare of the nation and humanity. There now are 34 recipients of the award since the beginning of the space program, including the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia who received the award posthumously.
âPresident Trumpâs leadership has put America back on a path to lead the world in space, from creating the Artemis program to giving NASA the resources and mandate to win this new space race,â said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. âThe Artemis II crew answered that call with extraordinary skill and courage, showing the world the Moon again and what American leadership and exploration look like at their best. Their achievement was made possible by the exceptional NASA workforce, alongside our industry and international partners, who showed once again what can be accomplished when we commit to big, bold endeavors. We will build on this success as we return to the lunar surface and establish an enduring presence on the Moon.â
The first crewed mission under NASAâs Artemis program paved the way for the 2027 Artemis III test flight in low Earth orbit to demonstrate rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial human landing systems, and the Artemis IV mission in 2028, which will return American astronauts to the lunar surface.
âIt was the honor of my lifetime to fly on Integrity around the Moon with Victor, Christina, and Jeremy. Having President Trump here at the agencyâs Johnson Space Center to honor NASA and my crew underscores the significance of what our teams accomplished,â said Wiseman, who served as commander of the mission. âI canât wait to see my friends continue this legacy on Artemis III.â
Glover served as pilot of the Orion spacecraft.
âPiloting Orion for the first time in space was a profound honor, made possible because of the years of hard work, dedication, and expertise by countless individuals dedicating their time and talents to the mission,â said Glover. âWe share this recognition with the thousands of people who launched us around the Moon and brought us safely back to Earth.â
Koch served as a mission specialist.
âThe response to our mission here on Earth was beyond anything we ever imagined and all we ever hoped for. We are grateful every time we hear from people who followed along with our journey. As team members on this shared mission, we accept this award to honor those who made it happen, from factory floors to clean rooms and mission control rooms,â said Koch.
Hansen also served as a mission specialist.
âIt is a privilege to receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor alongside my Artemis II crewmates,â said Hansen. âI share this recognition with the dedicated teams in Canada, the United States, and our international partners who made the mission possible. Artemis II showed what we can accomplish for humanity when we set ambitious goals and work together. For Canada, the mission and the Artemis program as a whole are about much more than just going back to the Moon. It is about the pursuit of excellence and collaboration.â
As part of a Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on a series of challenging missions to explore more of the Moon and establish a Moon Base on the lunar surface for long-term exploration. These missions will set the stage for sending the first astronauts â Americans â to Mars. Learn more:
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Bethany Stevens / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov
Brandi Dean / Chelsey Ballarte
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
brandi.k.dean@nasa.gov / chelsey.n.ballarte@nasa.gov
Source: NASA
