President Donald Trump is hosting the four astronauts from NASA’s Artemis II mission at the White House, nearly three weeks after the crew’s landing from its lunar flyby of the moon.
The Artemis II crew: Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, are expected to meet with the president in the Oval Office at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
The crew took off in the Orion spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1.
The purpose of the test flight was to “pave the way for lunar surface missions, establishing long-term lunar science and exploration capabilities,” according to NASA’s website. The trip lasted around 10 days.
ARTEMIS II CREW SHARES LUNAR LARKS AFTER HISTORIC JOURNEY AROUND MOON AND BACK
Trump extended a White House invitation to the astronauts in a post celebrating their work and return from space.
“The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect and, as President of the United States, I could not be more proud!” Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after the crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
“I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon,” he said. “We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!”