'You’ve inspired the entire world': Trump praises Artemis II crew in call after historic lunar flyby

President Donald Trump spoke with the crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission late Monday, congratulating the four astronauts after they completed a record-breaking loop around the moon and telling them they have “inspired the entire world.”

The call came just hours after the astronauts, three Americans and one Canadian, reached the farthest distance from Earth ever traveled by human beings, peaking at 252,756 miles from the planet. That milestone surpassed the Apollo 13 record set in 1970 by more than 4,000 miles.
 

“Today, you’ve made history and made all America really proud,” Trump told the crew in the roughly 12-minute call. “Humans have never really seen anything quite like what you’re doing in a manned spacecraft. It’s really special.”

The president praised the team’s “courage” and “genius,” calling the mission a key step in NASA’s push to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years. “America is a frontier nation, and the four brave astronauts of Artemis II really are modern-day pioneers,” Trump said, adding that the United States plans to “push on to Mars” next.

Earlier Monday, the Artemis II crew became the first humans to see portions of the moon’s far side with the naked eye. According to CBS, the mission’s commander, Reid Wiseman, described the experience as unlike anything in human history. He said the crew got to see "sights that no human has ever seen before,” Wiseman said. He added that one of the biggest surprises came when the crew observed a solar eclipse and spotted Mars in the distance.

“All of us commented how excited we are to watch this nation and this planet become a two-planet species,” he said.

Mission specialist Christina Koch said one of the most emotional moments came when Earth came back into view after the spacecraft rounded the moon. “It really just reminds you what a special place we have, and how important it is for our nation ... to lead and not follow in exploring deep space,” Koch said.

Pilot Victor Glover told the president the crew’s time on the far side of the moon was “quite nice,” but noted they were focused on scientific observations. “I said a little prayer, but then I had to keep rolling,” Glover said.

Trump’s call continues a long-standing presidential tradition of speaking with astronauts during major space missions, most famously when President Richard Nixon called Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon in 1969.

During Monday’s conversation, Trump also spoke directly with mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, who told the president that “Canadians are so proud to be a part of this program.” Trump responded by saying he had spoken with two prominent Canadians, Prime Minister Mark Carney and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, both of whom were “so proud” of Hansen’s role in the mission. “I’m not sure if they’d want to do that. I’m not even sure if The Great One would want to do that, to be honest with you,” Trump joked, using Gretzky’s famous nickname.

As Artemis II begins its return journey, the Orion spacecraft is now headed back toward Earth, with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean planned for Friday. Trump said he hopes to welcome the astronauts to the Oval Office after their return, where he plans to give them “a big salute” and ask for their autographs.