HOUSTON - The Artemis II astronauts, who took a leisurely spin around the moon back in April, have officially been recognized for their efforts. On Friday, they received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the nation's top space prize, from President Donald Trump. Because nothing says 'you did great' like a shiny medal and a photo op.

The ceremony took place at Houston's Johnson Space Center, home to mission control, with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and other dignitaries in attendance. The president, never one to miss an opportunity, used the occasion to announce the creation of a US space academy for the Space Force, NASA, and the commercial space community. 'Space is the hot thing,' Trump declared, adding that the location is still TBD. Because nothing says 'we have a plan' like an announcement without a location.

The recipients: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen of Canada. They became the first humans to travel to the moon in over half a century, getting within 4,067 miles (6,545km) of the lunar surface while test-driving NASA's new Orion capsule. They also got to ride the new 30-story moon rocket, which had previously flown exactly once from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Because practice makes perfect.

The crew didn't actually land on the moon, but they set the stage for next year's Artemis III docking rehearsal in Earth orbit. Artemis IV's moon landing by two astronauts near the lunar south pole could happen as soon as 2028. Trump, ever the optimist, predicted Americans will land back on the moon before his second presidency ends. And Mars is next, 'very shortly,' he said. Because why not?

The president called the newest recipients 'four intrepid space heroes' and graciously acknowledged they didn't do it alone, thanking all who contributed to the Artemis II mission. Isaacman added, 'There are no finer humans we could have sent as our ambassadors to the stars.' High praise indeed.

Wiseman and his crew join an exclusive club: only 30 astronauts have received this honor before them, many posthumously. The first was Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong, whose 'one giant leap' line still haunts every space journalist's keyboard. President Jimmy Carter awarded six of these medals in 1978 to luminaries like Alan Shepard, John Glenn, and Frank Borman. The most recent recipients were Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, who launched on a SpaceX rocket in 2020, restoring US crew-launch capability. Joe Biden gave them their medals in 2023.

The ceremony drew dozens of astronauts, including 91-year-old Apollo 17 moonwalker Harrison Schmitt, who noted his mission was the most productive lunar exploration yet - 'soon to be surpassed by Artemis,' he said, looking at the active astronauts behind him. Because there's nothing like a little healthy competition.

NASA plans a sustainable moon base near the lunar south pole, where permanently shadowed craters are thought to hold tons of frozen water that could be converted to rocket fuel and drinking water. China is eyeing the same region. 'The second space race has begun,' said NASA Deputy Administrator Matthew Anderson. Because sharing is so last century.

As the two-hour ceremony wrapped, the Artemis II astronauts presented Trump with his own blue flight jacket, complete with space patches, which they'd promised him during a post-mission Oval Office visit. The president then hustled over to mission control to call the three US astronauts on the International Space Station, informed them of the new space academy, and briefly handed the phone to two of their spouses for a quick hello. Because even presidents need to show off sometimes.