Artemis II commander and pilot take new NASA roles

Two of the astronauts who flew around the Moon on Artemis II earlier this year are stepping back from active flight duties to take on new roles at NASA.

Commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover are moving to emeritus status at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The arrangement lets them volunteer their expertise, mentor current staff and pursue opportunities outside the agency.

A record-breaking mission

Artemis II was a ten-day crewed flyby of the Moon that ended with splashdown on 10 April 2026. It was the first crewed flight of NASA's Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft, and the first time in more than 50 years that humans had travelled to the Moon. The crew travelled farther into space than anyone before them.

They flew with Christina Koch of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.

Long careers

Wiseman spent 165 days aboard the International Space Station and served as NASA's chief astronaut. Glover is a naval aviator and test pilot who flew on SpaceX's Crew-1 mission to the space station before Artemis II.

In their own words

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said: "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."

Glover said: "NASA and spaceflight remain a meaningful part of my journey of service. I'm excited to keep uplifting my friends and cheering them on as they reach for the Moon."

Wiseman added: "There is no better place to work, and there are no better people to work with, than those in this agency."

What comes next

Artemis III, planned for 2027, is the next step in NASA's programme to return people to the lunar surface and, in time, to build a lasting presence there. The lessons from Artemis II, from how Orion performed on its long journey to how the crew lived and worked on board, feed directly into that mission.