Sponsor
Norma Judith Torres
Representative · D-CA
Representative · D-CA
This resolution celebrates an international lunar mission and highlights inspirational milestones for STEM, but it is symbolic only—providing no new funding or policy changes and risking shifted attention away from other NASA priorities.
Students and young adults: official recognition of historic crew milestones (including the first Black astronaut and first non-American to travel to the Moon) that can inspire interest in STEM careers and education.
Scientists and researchers: endorsement of the NASA–Canadian Space Agency partnership reinforces international cooperation in space exploration and ongoing scientific collaboration.
The public and researchers: documents and preserves the mission timeline and achievements (launch, 10-day lunar flyby, distance traveled, splashdown), supporting public engagement with the space program and an official historical record.
Taxpayers: the resolution is largely ceremonial and does not change funding or policy, so it provides no direct material benefits or programmatic support.
Scientists and researchers focused on Earth science/climate: high-profile emphasis on this lunar mission may draw public and political attention away from other NASA priorities (like Earth science and climate research) without reallocating resources.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Records and honors the Artemis II crew and mission milestones, including crew biographies and mission dates, in a congressional preamble.
Official title: Honoring the crew of the Artemis II mission for their historic lunar flyby.
Introduced August 24, 2026 by Norma Judith Torres · Last progress August 24, 2026
Recognizes and recounts facts about the Artemis II mission and its four-person crew, noting crew biographies, mission milestones, and dates. It highlights the April 1, 2026 launch from Kennedy Space Center, a 10-day lunar flyby covering 252,756 miles, and splashdown off San Diego on April 10, 2026, and frames the flight as humanity’s return to the Moon and a step toward future lunar landings. The measure is purely a commemorative preamble that records achievements and firsts for individual crew members (including the first non-American selected for a lunar flight on this mission and firsts regarding gender and racial milestones) and celebrates the Artemis program’s progress toward future lunar exploration.