Artemis II astronauts receive nation's highest space honour for their successful moonshot
The Artemis II crew received the Congressional Space Medal of Honour from President Donald Trump during a ceremony at the Johnson Space Centre. The event also featured the announcement of a new U.S. Space Academy to support the Space Force, NASA, and the commercial space sector.
Why it matters
This event highlights the renewed geopolitical focus on lunar exploration and the intensifying 'second space race' between the U.S. and China. It also signals a shift in U.S. space policy toward integrating commercial partnerships and specialized training academies.
The Artemis II astronauts who flew around the moon earlier this year received the nation's highest space honour on Friday (August 28, 2026).
President Donald Trump presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honour to the three Americans and one Canadian whose April lunar flyby set a new distance record for humanity.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and other dignitaries took part in the packed ceremony at Houston's Johnson Space Centre, home to Mission Control. Trump used the occasion to announce the creation of a US Space Academy for the Space Force as well as NASA and the commercial space community.
“Space is the hot thing,” the President told the crowd, adding that the academy's location has yet to be determined.
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