President Donald Trump will award the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission on Friday, Aug. 28, at Joint Reserve Base Ellington in Houston, according to a White House official.
The four astronauts—NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen—completed the first crewed mission to orbit the moon in over 50 years during their 10-day flight, splashing down safely on April 10.
Medal Details and History
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor is awarded by the president, based on recommendations from the NASA administrator, to astronauts who have made exceptionally meritorious contributions to the nation and humanity. Congress has authorized the president to present the medal in its name to individuals who meet this criterion, per NASA.
Only 30 astronauts have received the medal, including Neil Armstrong and John Glenn. Astronauts lost in the Apollo 1 fire and the space shuttle Challenger and Columbia disasters received the medal posthumously.
The most recent recipients were Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, who became the first astronauts to launch to orbit aboard a commercial spacecraft in 2020. They were awarded the medal by President Joe Biden in 2023.
Artemis II Mission Overview
The Artemis II mission marked the first time humans traveled around the moon since the Apollo era, serving as a critical step toward NASA’s broader Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface and establish a sustainable presence there. The crew’s successful mission demonstrated key systems and procedures for future lunar landings.
The award ceremony will take place at Joint Reserve Base Ellington, a location used for astronaut training and official NASA events in Houston.