Hello, President here: Donald Trump congratulated the crew of Artemis II on their historic success

– You have gone down in history and made the whole of America really proud, said Trump, and he later acknowledged the contribution of the Canadian member of the mission, Jeremy Hansen.

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The call marked a step toward goals Trump set early in his first term, which is to return American astronauts to the moon and establish a long-term base there. Back in 2017, he declared that “this time we will not only plant a flag and leave footprints”, but also “establish the foundations for a future mission to Mars”.

It will be another year before a new human mission of the Artemis program is planned to bring NASA astronauts to the surface of the Moon. Trump acknowledged that future missions, including new moon landings, could be delayed even after his second term ends.

Nevertheless, Trump expressed his belief that “we will travel a lot” in space and that astronauts will “eventually make a big trip to Mars.”

The conversation lasted 12 minutes and was the first time since April 1 that the president mentioned this mission in detail, after a series of previous announcements about the war with Iran.

In the conversation with the astronauts, he did not mention the war, nor his strained relations with Canada. The flags of the United States and Canada were displayed.

The president also addressed Jeremy Hansen, the only Canadian member of the crew.

– I also spoke with your prime minister and many friends I have in Canada. Everyone is very proud of you.

During the conversation, Trump was curious as he questioned the astronauts about their adventure. He was particularly interested in what it was like to be cut off from Earth during the short period when the spacecraft was behind the Moon.

– I have to admit, it was actually quite nice, said Victor Glover, the pilot of the mission.

Towards the end of the conversation, a slightly awkward moment happened. Trump did not speak for a little more than a minute, which made the astronauts think that the connection might have been lost. While they were waiting, they tried to adjust the microphone that was constantly rotating in the capsule. They then asked if the president was still on the line.

– I did, yes, answered Trump, whose voice noticeably echoed.

– I think we may have broken off for a while, he concluded.

In the background you could hear the controllers from NASA laughing. The call ended with the astronauts being invited to the Oval Office of the White House when they return from their mission.