Historic Artemis II Crew To Receive Top US Space Medal

By the Editorial Team · Friday, August 28, 2026

NASA’s Artemis II crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—will receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor on August 28. This award recognizes their historic lunar flyby, the farthest any humans have traveled from Earth since Apollo 13, advancing NASA’s goal of returning humans to the Moon.

The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission will be awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the highest recognition for U.S. astronauts, officials announced. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are scheduled to receive the medals on August 28.

Artemis II marked a significant milestone as the first crewed lunar flyby mission since the Apollo program. During the April mission, the team traveled further from Earth than any human has since Apollo 13, setting a new distance record.

The astronauts were selected by then-President Donald Trump following a recommendation from NASA administrator Jared Isaacman. The Artemis II mission is a key step in NASA’s broader Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually establish a sustainable presence there.

The Congressional Space Medal of Honor is awarded to astronauts who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the United States in space exploration. This recognition highlights the Artemis II crew’s role in advancing human spaceflight and NASA’s long-term lunar objectives.

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