President Donald Trump stated Wednesday that the United States has a "good shot" at landing astronauts on the Moon before the end of his presidency.

Trump made the remarks during a White House Oval Office event where he welcomed the four astronauts from NASA's recently completed Artemis II mission: commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialists Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The 22-minute livestreamed greeting also included NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

When asked if NASA could achieve a crewed Moon landing during his second term, which ends in January 2029, Trump replied, "Well, we have a shot at it. I mean, we don’t like to say ‘definitely,’ because then you’ll say, ‘Oh, we failed, we failed.’ Because we’re, I think we could say we’re ahead of schedule. So, we have a good shot." Isaacman affirmed that the agency has "an achievable plan to go back to the Moon."

The event celebrated Artemis II, which launched on April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The 10-day mission marked the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972, sending the crew around the Moon and setting a new record for distance from Earth. The astronauts splashed down safely on April 10.

Artemis II served as a critical test of systems for future landings. The program, initiated during Trump's first term in 2017, aims to return humans to the lunar surface and establish a sustainable presence. NASA now targets Artemis III for no earlier than late 2027, with the mission's SLS core stage recently arriving at Kennedy Space Center. Artemis IV, planned for late 2028, would land near the lunar south pole.

Trump praised the astronauts' courage and credited his administration with revitalizing NASA, noting improvements to facilities that were neglected under prior leadership. He also joked about joining a future mission, asking Isaacman, "Is a president allowed to go up in one of these missions?" Isaacman replied, "We can get working on that, Mr. President."

Earlier this year, Isaacman outlined ambitious goals, vowing up to four Moon missions before Trump's term concludes. Recent progress includes the rollout of Artemis III hardware, signaling momentum toward the 2028 landing target.

Trump reiterated support for the U.S. Space Force and plans to declassify more UFO files, tying them to broader space leadership efforts.