Why It Matters

The recognition places the Artemis II astronauts among a select group of spacefarers honored for their service. Only 30 astronauts have received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, including Neil Armstrong and John Glenn. Astronauts killed in the Apollo 1 fire and the space shuttle Challenger and Columbia disasters received the medal posthumously.

Timeline

Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken became the first to launch to orbit on a commercial spacecraft in 2020. President Joe Biden awarded Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 2023. The Artemis II crew traveled farther in space than humans have ever before on April 10, 2026.

The Artemis II crew completed a 10-day mission around the Moon and splashed down on April 10, 2026. The Artemis II crew were the first humans to travel beyond the Moon in more than 50 years on April 10, 2026.

The award ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 28, at Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will join the President and astronauts in the awards ceremony on August 28, 2026.

What's New

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will join the President and astronauts in the awards ceremony. The Artemis II crew traveled farther in space than humans have ever before. Congressional Space Medal is order.

Jared Isaacman has served as the 15th administrator of NASA since December 2025. Artemis II was the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity by the four-person crew.

How Sources Differ

White House official confirmation states that President Donald Trump will award the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission.