Trump awards medals to Artemis II crew, announces space academy

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday presented the four astronauts of the Artemis II moon mission with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canada’s Jeremy Hansen, orbited the far side of the moon during a nine-day mission in April. Speaking during a ceremony at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, Trump said the four were fearless explorers who traveled farther from Earth than any human had before. Their mission captured imaginations worldwide and paved the way for the next moon landing, scheduled for 2028, he said.

Trump said the rare medals were previously given to only 30 other astronauts. He praised each member of the crew for their individual contributions to the Artemis II mission. Trump also highlighted pilot Glover’s Christian faith, thanking him for reminding everyone of God’s love for all His children.

Wiseman, the Artemis II commander, said the crew members would wear the medals with pride. However, that pride wasn’t for their own actions, but for the families, teammates, and international community that made their mission possible, he said.

Trump also announced the creation of the U.S. Space Academy, a NASA-led federal training institute. The academy would train the next generation of young astronauts, engineers, scientists, and military members for the Space Force and NASA, he said. The academy would be structured similarly to West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy, he said. American dominance in space was a necessity, and the academy would advance that goal, he said. He signed an executive order forming a commission to plan the future of the academy.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the Artemis II crew members’ key takeaways from their mission.