President Donald Trump congratulated the Artemis II crew on their successful mission around the Moon and safe return to Earth, calling the trip “spectacular” and the landing “perfect.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Congratulations to the Great and Very Talented Crew of Artemis II. The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect and, as President of the United States, I could not be more proud! I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon. We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!”
The Artemis II crew — NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch (mission specialist), and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen — splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, at 5:07 p.m. PDT (8:07 p.m. EDT) on April 10, 2026, according to NASA’s official announcement.
The nearly 10-day mission marked the first crewed flight to the Moon in more than 50 years. The astronauts traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history, reaching a record distance of 252,756 miles, and became the first humans to view the far side of the Moon up close.
After splashdown, the crew was recovered by a joint NASA and U.S. military team and transported to the USS John P. Murtha for initial medical evaluations. They are expected to return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on April 11.
NASA described the mission as a critical step toward future lunar landings under the Artemis program, with the next crewed mission, Artemis III, planned to land astronauts on the lunar surface.
Trump’s message also referenced future plans, stating the United States would return to the Moon and eventually reach Mars.
The White House reposted Trump’s statement on X, highlighting the successful conclusion of the Artemis II mission.
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