Artemis II crew tells President Trump the ‘biggest difference’ between the Moon’s near and far sides

The Artemis II crew made history by becoming the first humans to travel the farthest into deep space, shortly before completing a successful lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. The remarkable achievement drew widespread applause around the world. U.S. President Donald Trump was among the first to congratulate the astronauts—NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency)—on accomplishing what many nations can only aspire to achieve. During the conversation, Trump also asked the crew if they noticed any major differences between the Moon’s near and far sides.