Artemis II crew welcomed at White House as Trump discusses NASA and UFOs

Artemis II’s crew completed a lunar flyby and returned to their launch site, marking a historic milestone for NASA’s crewed Moon mission. The voyage highlighted the team’s work and the mission’s broader significance, with attention on the Artemis II spacecraft and its trajectory around the Moon.

In the Oval Office, President Donald Trump welcomed the Artemis II crew, praising the astronauts’ mental and physical readiness for such a mission and joking that he might participate in a future flight. The encounter included discussion sparked by Trump’s remarks on unidentified aerial phenomena, including a tease that classified UFO files could be released soon, and a claim that he would have “no trouble” becoming an astronaut.

Canada’s astronaut Jeremy Hansen joined the reception with the Artemis II crew. Trump praised the courage of the astronauts, while some coverage noted a parallel to historical uses of NASA for political messaging, including comparisons to Nixon’s reception of Apollo XI. The event underscored both the international dimension of Artemis II and the political spotlight surrounding NASA’s milestones.