Donald Trump has issued a boisterous message ahead of the historic Artemis 2 launch on April 1. Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, the US President said his country is "WINNING, in Space, on Earth, and everywhere in between". Mr Trump praised the team of astronauts ahead of the first Moon mission in over 50 years as they go "BEYOND THE STARS".

He wrote: "Tonight at 6:24 P.M. EST, for the first time in over 50 YEARS, America is going back to the Moon! Artemis II, among the most powerful rockets ever built, is launching our Brave Astronauts farther into Deep Space than any human has EVER gone. We are WINNING, in Space, on Earth, and everywhere in between — Economically, Militarily, and now, BEYOND THE STARS.

"Nobody comes close! America doesn’t just compete, we DOMINATE, and the whole World is watching.

"God bless our incredible Astronauts, God bless NASA, and God bless the Greatest Nation ever to exist, the United States of America! President DONALD J. TRUMP."