Trump hails Artemis II crew after historic Moon mission, eyes Mars next
US President Donald Trump on Saturday congratulated the crew of Nasa’s Artemis II mission after their successful return to Earth, praising the astronauts and declaring that the next phase of US space exploration will 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 could not be more proud! I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon. We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”The remarks came after Nasa’s Orion spacecraft carrying four astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California early Saturday, completing a 10-day lunar flyby mission.The crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen—had travelled farther from Earth than any humans in history, reaching a record 406,771 kilometres 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 lunar landing in 2028. During the journey, astronauts also captured images and observations while looping around the Moon before beginning their return.The Orion capsule, named Integrity, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to Mach 33 before deploying parachutes for splashdown. A joint Nasa–US military recovery team, supported by the USS John P Murtha, retrieved the crew for medical checks.The successful landing marks a key step in Nasa’s renewed lunar programme, with Trump’s comments adding political spotlight to the agency’s long-term ambitions of extending human missions beyond the Moon to Mars.
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