Trump hails Artemis II astronauts as 'modern-day pioneers' after historic moon flyby

President Donald Trump hails Artemis II astronauts onboard Orion spacecraft as 'modern-day pioneers' after historic moon fly.

President Trump spoke with the Artemis II crew after they completed a historic moon flyby on April 6, 2026.

During the live call, Trump told the Artemis II crew, “People haven’t been there in a long time, but it’s gonna be more and more prevalent because we’re gonna be doing a lot of traveling.”

"And then you’re gonna ultimately do the whole big trip to Mars and that’s gonna be very exciting,” he added.

In a phone call that lasted for about 12 minutes, President Trump applauded the Artemis II astronauts for their “courage” and “genius.”

President Donald Trump praised the Artemis II crew members, calling them modern-day pioneers, adding, “America is a frontier nation, and the four brave astronauts of Artemis II…really are modern-day pioneers.”

President Trump was throwing highlights of America’s next big thing after going back to the moon, adding that the U.S. plans to “push on to Mars” next.

The Orion spacecraft is carrying four astronauts, including mission commander Reid Wiseman, Christian Koch, Victor Glover and the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day flyby mission to the Moon.

It's the first time in five decades that NASA astronauts have made a flyby trip to the far side of the Moon since Apollo 13 in 1972.

The Orion spacecraft is now on its way back to Earth, with a splashdown expected in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday, April 10.