The crew of Artemis II, who set a record for the farthest-travelled humans from Earth, received a phone call from US President Donald Trump on Monday night. During the 12-minute Earth-to-space call, Mr Trump claimed he had saved Nasa from closure during his first term, despite repeatedly proposing cuts to the agency’s budget.
The call, facilitated by Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman, featured awkward silences and repeated references by Mr Trump to his friendship with Canadian ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky. At one point, the president said the Artemis II astronauts deserved his autograph request, adding that 'America is the hottest country in the world right now'.
Mr Trump’s claim to have rescued Nasa came as a surprise, given his consistent efforts to slash the agency’s spending. After his second term began in early 2025, the White House proposed a 24% cut to Nasa’s budget, taking it to $18.8bn – the lowest in a decade. Congress opposed the cuts, passing a nearly fully funded $24.4bn budget in January. However, on 3 April, days after Artemis II launched, Mr Trump unveiled another 23% reduction for 2027.
During the call, Mr Trump praised the crew for their 'incredible journey into the stars' and said the US would build a permanent lunar base and eventually send humans to Mars. He contrasted the mission with Nasa’s Apollo programme, calling it '50 years ago', but added that 'at long last America is back'.
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen thanked the US for allowing Canada to share in the mission, prompting Mr Trump to recount conversations with Mr Gretzky and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. A minute of silence followed, broken by Mr Isaacman conducting a comms check. Mr Trump then invited the four crew members to an Oval Office reception after their scheduled splashdown on Friday.
