Artemis II Astronauts Complete Historic Moon Flyby, Receive Call from Trump
Four astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis II mission completed a historic flyby of the moon on Monday and are now heading back to Earth. President Donald Trump called the crew after their seven-hour lunar flyby to congratulate them on the achievement.
The four-person Artemis II crew wrapped up their historic lunar flyby on Monday during Flight Day 6 of their 10-day mission. The astronauts spent seven hours conducting observations around the moon before beginning their journey home to Earth.
President Trump called the crew following their successful flyby, praising them as "modern-day pioneers" and inviting them to visit the White House upon their return. The call capped off what NASA describes as a landmark moment for human space exploration.
The mission represents the first time humans have traveled to the moon since NASA's Apollo program ended in the 1970s. The crew includes astronauts from both NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, working together to test the Orion spacecraft and other systems needed for future moon landings.
The Artemis program aims to establish a permanent human presence on the moon and use it as a stepping stone for eventual missions to Mars. This flyby mission is testing critical life support systems and navigation technology without actually landing on the lunar surface.
This marks the first time humans have flown around the moon in over 50 years, bringing NASA closer to landing astronauts on the lunar surface again. The mission tests crucial technology that could eventually take people to Mars.
The crew will continue their return journey to Earth over the next several days, with splashdown expected later this week.
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