Trump salutes Artemis 2 crew after historic moon mission, sets sights on Mars next
President of the United States Donald Trump Congratulations to the crew on Saturday NASAAfter successfully returning to Earth, the Artemis 2 mission praised the astronauts and announced that the next phase of American space exploration will be Mars.In a post published on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Congratulations to the great and talented crew of Artemis 2. The entire journey was spectacular, the landing was perfect, and I couldn’t be more proud to be President of the United States! I look forward to seeing you at the White House soon. We’ll do it again, and then, next, Mars! President Donald J. Trump.”Earlier on Saturday, NASA’s Orion spacecraft carrying four astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, completing a 10-day moon flyby mission.The crew – commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen – traveled further from Earth than any human in history, reaching a record of 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 manned lunar landing in 2028. During the trip, the astronauts also took images and observations as they orbited the moon before beginning their return.The Orion capsule, named Integrity, reentered the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to Mach 33 before deploying its parachute for splashdown. A joint NASA and U.S. military rescue team, supported by the USS John P. Moussa, conducted medical checks on the crew.The successful landing marks a key step in NASA’s new lunar plans, with Trump’s comments adding political focus to the agency’s long-term ambition to expand human missions from the moon to Mars.
