The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has congratulated the astronauts of the Artemis II mission, describing their journey as “scientifically groundbreaking and exceedingly inspiring.”

In a post on his Facebook page, Mr. Ablakwa praised the team for undertaking the farthest ever journey from Earth and returning safely, highlighting their achievement as a demonstration of “the boundless potential of human ingenuity and courage.”

The Minister also confirmed that the Government had formally conveyed, through diplomatic channels, its intention for President John Dramani Mahama to honour Christina Hammock Koch, the only female astronaut on the mission, at a mutually agreed time.

Christina Hammock Koch, who studied at the University of Ghana and proudly maintains her association with the country, will be recognised on behalf of the Ghanaian people for her remarkable accomplishments in space exploration.

Mr. Ablakwa emphasised that Koch’s achievement represents not only a personal milestone but also a source of national pride for Ghana, showcasing the global impact of Ghanaians in science and technology.

"I can confirm that the Government of Ghana has conveyed through diplomatic channels its intention at a mutually agreed time for President Mahama to, on behalf of the people of Ghana, honour the only female astronaut, Christina Hammock Koch, who studied at the University of Ghana and proudly celebrates her association with Ghana," the post read.

Background

Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed mission in its Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually lay the groundwork for Mars exploration.

Following the uncrewed Artemis I test flight, Artemis II is designed to test critical spacecraft systems, life-support operations, and astronaut performance in deep space.

The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, carrying four astronauts in the Orion spacecraft.

The crew members include Reid Wiseman (Commander), Victor Glover (Pilot), Christina Hammock Koch (Mission Specialist), and Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist from the Canadian Space Agency).

The astronauts undertook a lunar flyby, travelling farther from Earth than any humans have since the Apollo missions, testing the Orion spacecraft in deep space while conducting experiments and monitoring systems.

After completing the flyby, the crew entered the return trajectory and safely re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, landing successfully and marking a milestone for human spaceflight.