The Artemis II astronauts’ journey toward the Moon and back brought them to the White House Oval Office, where they stood behind President Donald Trump as he spoke about UFOs, the Space Force, and the war in Iran.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen stood behind Trump at the Resolute Desk, which featured a Moon model covered in gold. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman also joined the astronauts.
“I don’t know how they do it. I wouldn’t want to do it, but it takes people like this to make our country great,” the U.S. president said.
Trump briefly addressed his space priorities, including praising his decision to establish the Space Force during his first term, reiterating his intention to release classified UFO-related files, and suggesting there is a “good chance” that another human landing on the Moon could happen during his presidency.
“We don’t like to say for sure, because then you say, oh, we failed,” Trump said. “So we have a good chance. We’ve authorized it.”
Isaacman confirmed efforts to return humans to the Moon’s surface in 2028, and outlined ongoing plans for the Artemis III mission in 2027.
He also stated that NASA headquarters will remain in Washington, calling it an advantage to be based in the nation’s capital—a view shared by Trump.
Reports noted that a gold Moon model gifted to the White House by Isaacman and a NASA Rocket 1 model were visible on the President’s desk during the meeting.
After the successful mission, Trump congratulated the crew on their “spectacular” achievement and invited them to the White House.
“We’re going to do it again, and then the next step—Mars,” Trump said.
