Artemis II: Trump says he will speak to astronauts tonight

President Trump said he will speak to the crew of NASA's Artemis II tonight after their record-setting lunar loop. The Orion spacecraft is returning to Earth with a Pacific splashdown planned Friday.

President Trump said late Monday that he will speak to the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission tonight after their loop around the moon. The four-person crew includes three Americans and one Canadian. Earlier Monday the mission reached about 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 distance record by over 4,000 miles. Astronauts reported seeing parts of the moon's far side with the naked eye. Key points: - President Trump said he will speak to the Artemis II crew tonight. - The crew consists of four astronauts: three Americans and one Canadian. - The mission reached a maximum distance of about 252,756 miles, passing the Apollo 13 record by over 4,000 miles. - Crew members became the first humans to see parts of the moon's far side with the naked eye. - The Orion spacecraft is returning to Earth with a planned Pacific splashdown on Friday. Summary: The mission extended the distance humans have traveled from Earth and provided direct views of parts of the moon's far side, while serving as a test flight in NASA's effort to return people to the lunar surface. The Orion spacecraft is returning to Earth and is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific on Friday. Further milestones for the program are part of NASA's longer-term planning.