Christina Koch Wins 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Concord Following Artemis II Moon Mission
Summary: On June 19, 2026, NASA astronaut Christina Koch, who circled the Moon during the Artemis II mission, was awarded the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Concord — the first astronaut to receive this honor for a crewed lunar flyby.
Spain's Princess of Asturias Foundation announced on June 17, 2026, that NASA astronaut Christina Koch has been awarded the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Concord. The jury cited her contributions to human spaceflight and her role in inspiring a new generation as the primary reasons for the distinction.
Koch served as one of four crew members aboard the Artemis II mission, which launched in April 2026 as the first crewed flight to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. During the mission, the Orion spacecraft reached a distance of approximately 406,772 kilometers (252,760 miles) from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for the farthest distance traveled by humans from their home planet. Koch became the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit and to orbit the Moon. Her photograph of an Earthset — the Earth appearing to set behind the lunar horizon — was widely shared. The Artemis II crew also included mission commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen.
The Princess of Asturias Award for Concord is one of Spain's most prestigious honors. No astronaut had previously received this award for a crewed lunar mission. Koch's selection reflects growing international recognition of the Artemis program and its scientific significance.