Trump Celebrates Historic Artemis II Moon Mission

Former president invites astronauts to White House after successful lunar flight

Apr. 11, 2026 at 1:34am

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A bold, geometric abstract painting in soft earth tones, featuring sweeping arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals that conceptually represent the Artemis II spacecraft's journey to the moon and back, conveying the structural order and technical precision of the mission.An abstract artistic rendering of the Artemis II spacecraft's historic journey to the far side of the moon and back, capturing the mission's technical complexity and humanity's renewed ambition to explore the lunar surface.San Diego Today

Former President Donald Trump congratulated the Artemis II crew on their historic mission to the moon, saying he "could not be more proud" of their accomplishments. The Artemis II spacecraft splashed down off the coast of California on April 10 after a 10-day journey that took the crew more than 250,000 miles to the far side of the moon and back, traveling farther into space than any humans in history. Trump invited the astronauts to visit the White House, stating "We'll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!"

Why it matters

The successful Artemis II mission marks a major milestone in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo era. Trump's public praise and invitation to the White House highlights the bipartisan support for the Artemis program and the excitement around the prospect of future crewed missions to the moon and eventually Mars.

The details

The Artemis II spacecraft lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1 and splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California, around 8:07 p.m. on April 10 after completing its 10-day journey. During the mission, the crew traveled more than 250,000 miles to the far side of the moon, breaking the record for the farthest distance traveled by a crewed spacecraft.

  • Artemis II lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026.
  • The spacecraft splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California on April 10, 2026 around 8:07 p.m.

The players

Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States who congratulated the Artemis II crew on their historic mission to the moon.

Artemis II Crew

The crew of the Artemis II mission, which traveled more than 250,000 miles to the far side of the moon and back, breaking the record for the farthest distance traveled by a crewed spacecraft.

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What they’re saying

“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 could not be more proud!”

— Donald Trump, Former President of the United States

“We'll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!”

— Donald Trump, Former President of the United States

What’s next

The Artemis program plans to send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface as early as 2024, with the goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon by the end of the decade.

The takeaway

The successful Artemis II mission represents a major milestone in NASA's ambitious plans to return humans to the moon, with bipartisan political support and excitement building around the prospect of future crewed missions to the lunar surface and potentially even Mars.