Artemis II mission cited as stepping stone to lunar return

Trump pointed to the recent Artemis II flight as proof that the United States is moving forward. Astronauts Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, joined by Canadian spacefarer Jeremy Hansen, ventured beyond low‑Earth orbit for the first time in more than five decades. The president said this mission paves the way for future Artemis flights that will land American astronauts on the Moon, establish a lasting presence there, and lay the groundwork for a crewed journey to the Red Planet.