Cantwell Meets Artemis II Crew & Presents Senate Resolution Honoring Their Historic Journey Around the Moon

Cantwell Meets Artemis II Crew & Presents Senate Resolution Honoring Their Historic Journey Around the Moon

41 WA state companies played a key role in sending the first manned mission to the moon in over 50 years; Cantwell to Artemis II crew: I invite you all to come to WA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, met the Artemis II crew -- Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen - and presented the crew with a Senate resolution celebrating their historic journey around the moon.

"Human spaceflight turns space exploration into a shared national and civilization event, and the world watched as Artemis II and the people who were on board inspired a new generation of Americans. The crew's impressive accomplishment was made possible through the efforts of more than 2,700 hundred companies across the United States, including 41 in the State of Washington - yes, there is a reason we are known for the Space Needle," Sen. Cantwell said.

"In the Senate, our colleagues and the people on this committee have worked hard to ensure that NASA has the direction and the resources on this bold and ambitious program and will open access to the moon as a platform for exploration, science and economic development," she continued. "Our NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026 calls for the establishment of a sustained lunar base. The Artemis mission laid down the foundation for that endeavor by proving that our deep space transportation system actually works with a crew on board."

Video of Sen. Cantwell's remarks are HERE and a transcript is HERE; video of Commander Wiseman's remarks are HERE; video of Pilot Glover's remarks are HERE; video of Mission Specialist Koch's remarks are HERE; and video of Mission Specialist Hansen's remarks are HERE.

Photos are HERE.

On April 9, while they were still on their mission, Sen. Cantwell spoke live to the Artemis II crew about the future of human space exploration. NASA's livestream of that exchange is available HERE; Video showing Sen. Cantwell as she spoke to the astronauts from her Seattle office is available HERE.

On March 30, Sen. Cantwell visited two of the dozens of Washington state companies that are supplying NASA's Artemis Mission - Karman Space & Defense in Mukilteo, and L3Harris in Redmond. Karman Space & Defense is a manufacturer of mission-critical subsystems for launch vehicles, spacecraft, and hypersonic systems. The company's Mukilteo campus produces components for the Orion capsule that flew on the Artemis II mission. L3Harris specializes in rocket propulsion, holding contracts to provide many of the thrusters used on Artemis. The company's Redmond facility has manufactured spacecraft thrusters for NASA since 1968 and has supported famous missions such as Viking and Voyager.

READ MORE:

The Seattle Times: Washington's space economy powers the Artemis II moonshot

KIRO 7: Artemis II: Washington's hand in the upcoming historic flight around the moon

GeekWire: Watch NASA count down to the launch of humanity's first moon voyage in nearly 54 years

Sen. Cantwell has been a champion for our nation's space industry and its aerospace workforce, and currently oversees NASA and the space industry as Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee. In March, Sen. Cantwell led bipartisan, unanimous passage through the Commerce Committee of the NASA Authorization Act of 2026, which confirms support for the Artemis missions.

Fact Sheet: Washington's Space Economy and Sen. Cantwell's Support for the Artemis Program

Artemis II was the first crewed flight of the Artemis missions, designed to confirm that the SLS rocket and Orion space vehicle operate as designed with crew onboard in a deep space environment. The crew spent a total of 10 days in space and completed a lunar flyby, reaching the farthest point humans have ever traveled, before returning to Earth and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.