U.S. President Trump made statements on the United States’ space efforts at a ceremony held at the center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Houston, Texas.
Trump said the U.S. Space Force, whose establishment he helped lead in 2019, was important for advancing space activities. He said reaching the Moon was important but not enough, and announced that a new academy called the “US Space Academy” would be established to take these efforts further. He added that he would sign for its establishment the same day.
Artemis II astronauts receive Congressional Gold Medal
At the ceremony, the four astronauts who took part in the Artemis II lunar mission also received the Congressional Gold Medal. Trump said the first crewed lunar mission carried out after a gap of nearly 50 years was of historic importance to humanity.
As part of Artemis II, which began on April 1, the astronauts completed a 10-day flight around Earth and the Moon. During this period, the crew traveled approximately 1.118 million kilometers.
During the mission, the spacecraft’s systems were tested, previously unseen areas of the Moon were recorded, and potential landing sites for future missions were surveyed.