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Trump’s White House Event With Artemis II Astronauts Overshadowed by 'Beautiful Ears' Quip

A brief viral moment overshadowed NASA's update on its 2027 test and 2028 landing goal.

Overview

  • At the Oval Office on Wednesday, President Trump pointed to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman’s “beautiful ears” and “super hearing,” drawing a nervous laugh and a reply of “Trick of the trade, sir.”
  • The session drifted from space to geopolitics as Trump fielded questions on Iran, RussiaUkraine, and UFO records while the four Artemis II astronauts stood behind him.
  • Isaacman used the appearance to confirm NASA’s near‑term plan for an Artemis III docking test in 2027 with a commercial lunar lander and a first landing attempt targeted for 2028.
  • He also said NASA headquarters will stay in Washington, D.C., while Trump said the United States has a “good shot” at a lunar landing during his term and joked about going to space himself.
  • Reporters and social media fixated on the ears remark and the lack of astronaut questions, against a budget push that favors exploration and proposes cuts to some science and education programs.