Two NASA astronauts who flew on the Artemis II mission around the moon and back are hanging up their flight suits after their historic flight in April.
Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover are transitioning to NASA’s astronaut emeritus program, which allows them to donate their time to train and mentor the NASA workforce.
Together, they took on one of the most challenging missions in human spaceflight and helped return America to the lunar environment,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said. “As Reid and Victor transition to emeritus status, I’m grateful they will continue sharing what they learned with our astronauts, flight controllers, and engineers as we prepare for Artemis III in 2027 and the missions that follow.”
Wiseman will work with the Artemis II crew, which is embarking on a mission to low-Earth orbit to test rendezvous and docking with NASA’s new lunar landers. That mission could launch late next year.
“NASA gave me tremendous responsibility, supported me through two space missions and my time as chief astronaut, and was always there for my family when we needed it most,” Wiseman said. “I’m thrilled to continue serving future missions and programs through the emeritus program.”
As an astronaut, Wiseman participated in two missions – the Artemis II mission and a 165-day stay on the International Space Station, spending a total of 175 days in space.
Glover will support aerospace, leadership and public service efforts on behalf of NASA. On social media, he announced a return to his alma mater, Cal Poly.
“I look forward to helping create more opportunities for the next generation of STEM, faith, and service leaders through Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing education,” he wrote on X.
Before the Artemis II mission, Glover served as pilot on the Crew-1 mission, the first operational flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. During his two missions, Glover spent 178 days in space.
Canadian crewmate Jeremy Hansen announced his retirement earlier this year. NASA’s Christina Koch, a mission specialist on Artemis II, remains with the agency as an astronaut.
