President Trump Speaks with Artemis II Astronauts After Lunar Flyby Mission

NASA's Artemis II mission involved a crew of four astronauts who conducted a lunar flyby on April 6. The mission launched on April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew received clearance on April 3 to proceed from Earth orbit toward the moon.

During the flyby, the spacecraft reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 record from 1970 by more than 4,000 miles. The astronauts became the first humans to view parts of the moon's far side with the naked eye. The mission, lasting 10 days, is scheduled to conclude with a landing in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.

6, President Donald Trump participated in a 12-minute call with the Artemis II crew.

Trump addressed the astronauts, stating they had made history and made America proud.

“Very special hello to Artemis today. You've made history and made all America really proud. We have a lot of things to be proud of lately, but this is there's nothing like what you're doing.”

Trump referred to the crew as modern-day pioneers and commended the NASA team led by Jared Isaacman. The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, along with Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. During the call, Trump expressed intentions for the U.S. to establish a permanent presence on the moon and advance to Mars.

He stated that America would lead in space exploration.

asked the crew about the most unforgettable part of the mission. Wiseman described seeing new sights, including a solar eclipse and Mars. Koch highlighted her first view of Earth after passing the moon, noting its significance for U.S. leadership in space exploration.

Glover mentioned making scientific observations on the moon's far side and jokingly added that he said a prayer before continuing work. Hansen thanked Trump on behalf of Canada, praising U.S. space leadership for setting goals that involve other nations.

Trump responded by commending Hansen's courage and bravery.