This resolution honors the historic Artemis II crew for successfully completing humanity’s first lunar flyby in over 50 years and proposes the establishment of National Artemis II Mission Day.
Norma Torres
Representative
CA-35
This resolution honors the historic Artemis II mission and its four-person crew for successfully completing the first human lunar flyby in over 50 years. It celebrates the crew's achievement in reaching the farthest distance humans have ever traveled and supports the designation of a National Artemis II Mission Day to commemorate this milestone.
Artemis II Resolution Proposes National Mission Day to Celebrate Humanity's 252,000-Mile Lunar Milestone
This resolution formally recognizes the four-person crew of the Artemis II mission for their 10-day journey around the Moon, a feat that marked humanity’s first return to lunar territory in over half a century. The bill highlights the mission's record-breaking distance of 252,756 miles from Earth and its successful splashdown off the San Diego coast on April 10, 2026. Beyond just a pat on the back, the resolution supports the creation of a "National Artemis II Mission Day" to ensure this specific leap in space exploration stays in the public consciousness.
The Crew in the Cockpit
The resolution takes time to detail the diverse backgrounds of the astronauts who manned the Space Launch System rocket. It honors Pilot Victor Glover, a Navy veteran and the first Black astronaut to travel to the Moon; Commander Reid Wiseman, who previously led the Astronaut Office; NASA Mission Specialist Christina Koch, a record-breaking veteran of the first all-female spacewalk; and Canadian Space Agency Specialist Jeremy Hansen, the first non-American to reach lunar vicinity. By documenting their specific roles and histories—from Ontario High School to the deck of the USS John F. Kennedy—the bill aims to turn these figures into household names for the next generation of scientists and pilots.
Mapping the Path to the Surface
While the Artemis II mission didn't involve boots on the ground, the resolution explicitly frames this flyby as the essential precursor to future lunar surface landings. By formalizing the success of the 10-day flight, the bill solidifies the mission's data as the foundation for the next phase of deep-space travel. For everyday citizens, this resolution serves as a formal "receipt" for the billions in public investment required for the Space Launch System, confirming that the hardware worked as intended and the path to the Moon is officially reopened.