NASA's Artemis II astronauts swung around the moon in their Orion spacecraft on Monday, coming within 4,067 miles of the lunar surface.

The Artemis II crew, led by Reid Wiseman, was the first to lay eyes on several craters on the far side of the moon. The astronauts want to name one of them after Carroll Wiseman, who died of cancer in 2020.

This momentous day ended on an awkward note when President Donald Trump called to congratulate the crew. The 13-minute conversation, aired as part of NASA’s live mission coverage, felt more torturous than rewarding. What stood out—but was altogether unsurprising—was that Trump sounded like he had only a vague idea of what Artemis 2 is all about.

President Trump speaks to the astronauts on board the Orion spacecraft as they return to earth following a historic trip around the moon.

President Trump praised the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission in a brief chat late Monday, saying they had "inspired the entire world" after they looped around the moon in a record-breaking voyage.

President Donald Trump blamed a delay for a minute-long awkward silence during his Monday night phone call with the astronauts aboard the Artemis II. The president spoke to the four astronauts—Americans Christina Koch,

The NASA-led Artemis II mission, carrying a four-person crew beyond Earth orbit for the first time since 1972, conducted a seven-hour flyby of the moon.

The voyage of four astronauts to the far side of the moon has given the world a glimpse of America at its best, offering a respite from global despair and displeasure over U.S-led conflict, tariffs, and crumbling global institutions.