Story perspectives

Trump Hosts Artemis II Crew Amid NASA Budget Cut Push

4/30/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump hosted Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen in the Oval Office on April 29, 2026.
The crew had completed a 10-day lunar flyby launched April 1, 2026, splashing down April 10 after traveling 252,756 miles, the farthest humans have been from Earth.
The White House meeting comes as the administration’s proposed 2027 budget would cut NASA science programs, a plan Congress previously rejected.

History

Historical Context

President Nixon greeted Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins at the White House in July 1969 after NASA’s $25.4 billion Moon landing program—originally launched under Eisenhower and driven by Kennedy’s 1961 pledge. In December 2017 Trump signed Space Policy Directive 1, creating the Artemis program that plans a crewed lunar flyby by 2026, echoing the earlier presidential endorsement.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump hosted Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen in the Oval Office on April 29, 2026.
The crew had completed a 10-day lunar flyby launched April 1, 2026, splashing down April 10 after traveling 252,756 miles, the farthest humans have been from Earth.
The White House meeting comes as the administration’s proposed 2027 budget would cut NASA science programs, a plan Congress previously rejected.

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