'The Space Force is my baby': Trump lauds military space in State of the Union but skips Artemis 2 moon crew…
Space.com
by Mike Wall February 25, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
President Donald Trump delivered a historic yet lengthy State of the Union address, marking 107 minutes—a record for such speeches—but notably omitted any mention of NASA’s upcoming Artemis 2 mission, despite the astronauts attending the event. While Trump praised the U.S. military and specifically highlighted the Space Force as a personal achievement, he failed to acknowledge the significance of Artemis 2, which aims to send four astronauts on a lunar orbital mission later this year. This omission comes despite the presence of the Artemis 2 crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—at the speech.
The address included a brief nod to space exploration, with Trump reflecting on America’s past achievements in conquering the skies and reaching the stars. However, the absence of any direct mention of Artemis 2 or its crew was surprising, especially given the program’s ties to Trump’s presidency. The Artemis initiative, established during Trump’s first term, aims to establish a sustainable presence near the moon’s south pole within the next five years. While Trump had initially set an ambitious goal for a lunar landing by late 2024, the mission has faced multiple delays, including recent setbacks with the Space Launch System rocket.
The latest delay pushes Artemis 2’s launch back to April at the earliest, following a rollback of the rocket from the launchpad for troubleshooting. The astronauts themselves were on hand at the State of the Union but received minimal attention during the speech. This lack of recognition raises questions about the administration’s focus and priorities regarding space exploration.
For space enthusiasts and those closely following NASA’s progress, this omission highlights broader challenges facing the Artemis program. Delays in hardware development and political shifts have repeatedly pushed back the timeline for a crewed lunar mission. Despite
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Originally published on Space.com on 2/25/2026