Published on Feb. 25, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump praised the U.S. Space Force as “my baby” and touted the military’s space capabilities, but he did not mention NASA’s Artemis 2 mission, which will send four astronauts around the moon later this year. The Artemis 2 crew attended the speech as guests, but Trump failed to acknowledge their historic upcoming flight, the first crewed lunar mission since 1972. Why it matters
The Artemis program, established during Trump’s first term, aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface. While Trump championed the creation of the Space Force, his omission of the Artemis 2 mission was seen by some as a missed opportunity to highlight American leadership in space exploration. The details
Trump’s State of the Union address lasted over 107 minutes, setting a new record. While he praised the Space Force and discussed the military’s role in a recent operation, he did not mention the Artemis 2 mission or the four astronauts who were present as guests. Artemis 2 is scheduled to launch as early as April 1 and will be the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Trump’s State of the Union address took place on February 24, 2026.The Artemis 2 mission is scheduled to launch as early as April 1, 2026.
The players
Donald TrumpThe 46th President of the United States, who established the U.S. Space Force during his first term in office.Artemis 2 CrewThe four astronauts scheduled to fly on NASA’s Artemis 2 mission around the moon, including Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.U.S. Space ForceThe military branch established in December 2019 during Trump’s first term, which the president referred to as “my baby” in his State of the Union address.
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What they’re saying
“This is a different fighting force than we had years ago, when we fought to tie. It’s a great fighting force. I’m so proud of it. Look at Space Force. The Space Force is my baby, because we did that.”— Donald Trump, President of the United States (space.com)
What’s next
The Artemis 2 mission is scheduled to launch as early as April 1, 2026, sending four astronauts on a historic flight around the moon.
The takeaway
While President Trump championed the creation of the U.S. Space Force, his omission of the upcoming Artemis 2 mission in the State of the Union address was seen by some as a missed opportunity to highlight American leadership in space exploration and the return of crewed lunar flights.
