Artemis II astronauts to receive top US space honour

The four astronauts who made history with NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission are set to receive the Congressional Space

The four astronauts who made history with NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission are set to receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, one of the highest honours awarded to US astronauts.

The recipients are mission commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. They will receive the prestigious medal during a ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on August 28.

The honour places the Artemis II crew among a select group of astronauts recognised for extraordinary achievements in space exploration. Since the medal was established in 1978, only around 30 astronauts have received it.

The list includes some of the most prominent figures in the history of human spaceflight, including Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon, and John Glenn, who became the first American to orbit Earth.

Despite its name, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor is not directly awarded by Congress. The US president presents the medal following a recommendation from the NASA administrator. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman nominated all four Artemis II astronauts for the honour.

Artemis II marked a major milestone in NASA’s return to human lunar exploration. The crew completed a 10-day mission that took them farther from Earth than any humans had travelled before.

During the mission, the astronauts reached approximately 252,756 miles from Earth. This surpassed the previous human distance record of about 248,655 miles set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970.

The mission also carried several other historic distinctions. Artemis II became the first crewed mission to travel beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.

It was also the first crewed test flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, providing crucial data for future missions under the Artemis programme.

The crew launched aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on April 1 before completing their journey around the Moon and returning safely to Earth.

Reflecting on the mission after the crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, Wiseman acknowledged the challenges involved in the historic flight.

The medal ceremony is scheduled for 11am Eastern Time on August 28. NASA will also livestream the event for viewers around the world.

The recognition comes several months after the astronauts were welcomed at the White House, where US President Donald Trump met the crew and praised their historic achievement.