‘Next step, Mars!’ Trump’s ambitious plan post Artemis II success

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) unveiled an ambitious plan for NASA- exploration of Mars after the Artemis II crew was extracted from their spacecraft. Trump said that the lunar mission was successful and called the crew to the White House.

In a post on Truth Social, he said, “Congratulations to the Great and Very Talented Crew of Artemis II. The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect and, as President of the United States, I could not be more proud! I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon. We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

JUST IN: President Trump CONGRATULATES the Artemis II astronauts after their successful trip around the moon:

NEXT STEP, MARS!

“Congratulations to the Great and Very Talented Crew of Artemis II. The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect and, as President of the… https://t.co/wJxkJWML4s pic.twitter.com/Dww2mZNusd

— Morse Report (@MorseReport) April 11, 2026

All the Artemis II crew have now been extracted after the splashdown, and will then be escorted to the medical bay, NASA stated on Friday (local time). As of now, they are on the USS John P Murtha and will go through post-mission medical evaluations.

In a post on X, NASA stated, “All four of the Artemis II astronauts have been successfully extracted from the Orion spacecraft following splashdown and are now on the USS John P. Murtha. Next up, they will be escorted to the medical bay, where they will undergo post-mission medical evaluations.”

All four of the Artemis II astronauts have been successfully extracted from the Orion spacecraft following splashdown and are now on the USS John P. Murtha. Next up, they will be escorted to the medical bay where they will undergo post-mission medical evaluations. pic.twitter.com/v96RFKEUNN

— NASA (@NASA) April 11, 2026

The International Space Station crew earlier in the day caught a glimpse of the Artemis II crew as they re-entered the atmosphere from their journey to the Moon.

In a post on X, NASA Astronaut Chris Williams said, “Our crew on the International Space Station caught a glimpse of the Artemis II crew as they re-entered the atmosphere from their journey to the Moon! We first saw a bright light and a trail as the service module burned up. We didn’t see the Orion capsule itself as it re-entered, but we saw the wispy trail it left behind in the upper atmosphere. Overjoyed that our friends are safely back on Earth after their awe-inspiring mission!”

Our crew on the @Space_Station caught a glimpse of the @NASAArtemis II crew as they re-entered the atmosphere from their journey to the Moon! We first saw a bright light and a trail as the service module burned up. We didn’t see the Orion capsule itself as it re-entered, but we… pic.twitter.com/4uzu3wBefB

— Chris Williams (@Astro_ChrisW) April 11, 2026

The Artemis II crew has safely returned to Earth after successfully splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, marking a historic milestone in human space exploration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said on Saturday. (ANI)