From the Moon to JPL: Wiseman’s New Role Caps Artemis II Crew’s Exit From Flight Status

Astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander of NASA’s Artemis II mission which took humans around the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, just announced his next career move after transitioning to an emeritus role with the agency. His new position lands at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA’s center of excellence for robotics and deep space exploration in Southern California, where he’ll serve as the deputy director of JPL and Caltech’s associate vice president beginning Nov. 30, 2026.

“I’ve explored the furthest reaches of what a human can explore at NASA — and there were truly no words in the English vocabulary to describe seeing the Sun disappear behind the Moon from deep space. But that experience was really the jumping off point to go do the impossible things that Caltech and JPL dream, dare together, and do for NASA and the nation,” Wiseman said in a video announcement at Caltech’s Brave New Space Age event. “What an awesome time in my career to join this team and to try and push humanity and push our understanding of the solar system and the universe.”

Wiseman’s record lines up well with what JPL is asking of him. As chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office from December 2020 to November 2022, he led the astronaut corps and oversaw crew flight readiness and safety for all of NASA’s human spaceflight missions. That’s the same kind of agencywide operational oversight he’ll bring as JPL’s Center Management Authority for mission execution. His 165 days aboard the International Space Station on Expedition 41, his command of the NEEMO 21 undersea mission in 2016, and his overall qualifications as a retired U.S. Navy captain gave him firsthand experience running complex missions under real constraints and further made him a natural fit to serve as the lab’s primary interface for national security programs.

“Reid shares our drive for discovery, knows what it takes to lead teams through high-stakes missions, and has a remarkable ability to inspire people everywhere,” said Dave Gallagher, JPL director and Caltech vice president, in NASA’s press release on the new position. “He adds incredible bench strength to our leadership team as we build on the lab’s legacy and shape its future together.” Caltech President Ray Jayawardhana also sang Wiseman’s praises. “His pioneering spirit coupled with unbounded curiosity make him a natural fit for Caltech and JPL,” he remarked. “… a force-multiplier for a community whose daring continues to push the limits of humanity’s reach.”

Wiseman’s update marks the latest official announcement from the four Artemis II astronauts regarding what’s next for their careers. A little over six months after flying farther from Earth than any humans before them, all have now left active flight status. Their next chapters range from NASA leadership and university halls to helping shape Canada’s future in space.

Christina Koch (mission specialist) was named NASA’s acting deputy chief engineer beginning Nov. 1, 2026, a role that ends her eligibility for spaceflight but puts her flight experience to work shaping the technical decisions behind future crewed missions. After moving to emeritus status with Wiseman in September, Victor Glover (pilot) returned full-time to California Polytechnic State University as executive advisor to President Jeffrey D. Armstrong, where he’ll bring his spaceflight experience to the university’s students and leadership. Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist) announced his departure from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in July to pursue new opportunities in September, and he will stay on as a reservist with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), where he holds the rank of colonel, and as an ambassador for Canada’s future in space with advisory roles already ongoing.

As the first crew to fly the Orion spacecraft around the Moon steps back, NASA is pushing toward Artemis III, which is the next step toward putting astronauts back on the lunar surface. Randy Bresnik (commander), the European Space Agency’s Luca Parmitano (pilot), Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio (mission specialists) will fly in low Earth orbit in 2027 to rendezvous and dock with test versions of Blue Origin’s and SpaceX’s human landing systems (HLS), ahead of the Artemis IV landing planned for 2028. Those tests will show whether Orion can safely dock with both landers, and astronauts will board Blue Origin’s test lander, before either one is trusted with a Moon landing.

For Wiseman, the Moon may be behind him, but the exploration isn’t. From commanding the first crewed flight around the Moon in more than half a century, Wiseman now turns to the robotic explorers that travel where humans can’t yet go. While his next missions may no longer leave Earth with him aboard, they’ll carry the same drive that took him around the Moon.