Trump lauds Artemis II crew as spacecraft returns after historic moon flyby: 'Next step, Mars!'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump celebrated the historic return of the Artemis II crew, praising the astronauts for their successful mission.

Following the flawless splashdown of the Orion spacecraft, Trump confirmed that the victory in lunar orbit has set the stage for the next great era of space exploration, noting that "the next step" for the US will be a mission to Mars.

Trump lauds Artemis II crew

Right after the successful retrieval of the spacecraft, Trump took to Truth Social to convey his pride in the mission's results and the skills of the crew.

He highlighted the perfection of the 10-day journey, stating, “Congratulations to the Great and Very Talented Crew of Artemis II. The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect," and noted that as the President, he “could not be more proud!”

He concluded by inviting the team to the capital, stating, “I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon. We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!”

Artemis II astronauts break Apollo 13 distance record

The Artemis II mission was both a test of technology and a record-breaking achievement for the four astronauts on board.

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen traveled farther from Earth than any other human beings in history.

By reaching a distance of 406,771 kilometers while looping around the far side of the Moon, the team officially broke the previous record held by Apollo 13 since 1970.

This journey allowed the crew to test essential deep-space systems, including life support and navigation, which are necessary for the long-term safety of future missions.

While orbiting the Moon, the crew collected vital data and took stunning photographs before beginning their journey home.

Artemis II paves path to Mars

The return to Earth was a high-speed demonstration of precision engineering.

The Orion capsule, named Integrity, re-entered the atmosphere at speeds of up to Mach 33.

After withstanding extreme heat, the capsule deployed its parachutes and landed safely in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego.

A joint recovery team from NASA and the US military, supported by the USS John P. Murtha, was on site to retrieve the astronauts for medical checks.

Earlier, on April 1, Trump praised the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, marking the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.