President Donald J. Trump will award the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the four-person crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission during an August 28 ceremony at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, according to an official announcement from NASA. The honors go to NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, following their historic 10-day lunar flyby completed on April 10.
Record-Breaking Deep Space Flight
The Artemis II mission marked the first crewed flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, pushing human deep space travel farther than ever before. According to NASA data, the crew reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth, officially surpassing the human spaceflight distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. Over the course of their nearly 10-day voyage, the astronauts covered a total of 695,081 miles.
The journey began on April 1 when a Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida with 8.8 million pounds of thrust, as reported by Fox News. After checking Orion’s systems in Earth orbit, the crew traveled toward the Moon and swung within 4,067 miles of the lunar surface on April 6. During the flyby, the astronauts captured more than 7,000 images documenting earthrise, lunar craters, ancient lava flows, and a solar eclipse viewed from the spacecraft.
Mission Conclusion and Safety Risks
The spacecraft returned to Earth on April 10, piercing the atmosphere at roughly 25,000 mph before splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, according to mission timelines. Following their return, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that the crew accepted significant risk while testing critical spacecraft systems designed to support future long-duration exploration.
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor carries deep historical roots dating back to the Apollo program. Authorized by Congress in 1969, the award recognizes astronauts who distinguish themselves through exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to national welfare in the hostile environment of space. NASA records show the medal has been bestowed upon a very select group of 30 recipients, including Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, and Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell.
Event Details and Public Access
The upcoming presentation ceremony at the Johnson Space Center will feature remarks from President Trump alongside NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. The event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. EDT on Friday, August 28, and will stream live across multiple agency platforms. Media credentialing requests for the Houston ceremony closed on August 25, though public viewers can access the livestream through NASA’s official web channels.
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