Trump awards Artemis II crew Congressional Space Medal of Honor and speaks with ISS astronauts from Houston

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, President Trump presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the four-member Artemis II crew — Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen — on Friday. The crew presented Trump with a flight jacket during the ceremony, which was also attended by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, according to Fox News.

Following the medal ceremony, Trump spoke directly with American astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Trump opened the call by joking about his own reluctance to travel to space, saying, "I wouldn't do it. I hate to admit it. I would not want to do it. But some people love it more than anything," according to Fox News. The ISS astronauts said they were "thrilled" to speak with the president and noted they were "in the middle of several spacewalks," with another planned for the following week.

Trump referred to the ISS crew as "pioneers" and invited them to the White House upon their return. "We're going to see you when you get back. In fact, if you want Oval Office time, right?" he said, per Fox News.