Biden hosts Nasa astronauts aiming to fly around the moon

Artemis II crew members, from left, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch,and Jeremy Hansen speak to the media outside the West Wing of the White House (Andrew Harnik/AP)

The four astronauts set to fly around the moon for the first time in 50 years met US President Joe Biden at the White House, where he showed off a moon rock on display in the Oval Office that was collected in the Apollo era.

The Artemis II crew — three Americans and a Canadian — said Mr Biden was making good on a promise to host them at the White House after they were assigned to the mission earlier this year.