The Highest Honor for the Farthest Journey
President Donald J. Trump awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the four crew members of NASA's Artemis II mission on August 28 during a ceremony at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, received the decoration — the highest honor the United States can bestow upon its astronauts.
A Historic Lunar Flyby
The crew completed a 10-day mission around the Moon on April 10, 2026, marking humanity's return to lunar space after more than half a century. During the test flight aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft, they were the first humans to fly beyond the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, and they traveled farther in space than any humans before them.
The Artemis II mission served as the critical crewed test flight validating Orion's life-support systems, navigation, and deep-space communication ahead of Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface.
A Ceremony Steeped in Tradition
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by Congress in 1969 to recognize extraordinary heroism and distinguished service by NASA astronauts. Previous recipients include Alan Shepard, John Glenn, and the crews of Apollo 13 and the Space Shuttle Challenger.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman joined the President and crew members at the ceremony. The event was livestreamed on NASA's platforms.
What's Next for Artemis
With the Artemis II crew now honored, NASA's focus shifts to Artemis III, currently targeting a 2027 launch window for the agency's first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
