Trump lauds Artemis II crew after historic Moon mission, now eyes Mars

us President donald trump congratulated the team of on Saturday NASAAfter the Artemis II mission’s successful return to Earth, the astronauts were praised and announced that the next phase of American space exploration would be Mars.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 couldn’t be prouder! I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon. We’ll do this again and again, next step, Mars! President Donald J. Trump.”The comments came after NASA’s Orion spacecraft carrying four astronauts splashed down early Saturday in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, completing a 10-day lunar flyby mission.The crew—Commander Reed Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen of Canada—had traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history, reaching a record 406,771 kilometers on the far side of the Moon, surpassing Apollo 13’s 1970 record.The mission tested deep space systems including life support, navigation and propulsion, paving the way for a planned crewed Moon landing in 2028. During the trip, the astronauts also captured photographs and observations as they circled around the Moon before beginning their return.The Orion capsule, named Integrity, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at speeds up to Mach 33 before deploying parachutes for splashdown. A joint NASA-US military recovery team supported by USS John P Murtha retrieved the crew for medical examination.The successful landing is a key step in NASA’s renewed lunar program, with Trump’s comments adding to the political spotlight on the agency’s long-term ambitions to expand human missions beyond the Moon to Mars.