Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman, two of the four astronauts who flew aboard Artemis II earlier this year, are transitioning to emeritus status at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The emeritus program enables experienced NASA personnel to volunteer their expertise while maintaining involvement with the agency and pursuing opportunities outside their previous full-time positions.
Glover, who served as pilot on Artemis II, previously flew as a Crew-1 astronaut and brings experience as a naval aviator and test pilot. Wiseman commanded the mission after accumulating 165 days aboard the International Space Station. Together, the two astronauts completed the first crewed mission to launch on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and carry astronauts around the Moon. The four-person crew, which also included NASA astronaut Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, safely splashed down on April 10 after becoming the first humans in more than 50 years to reach lunar orbit. During the 10-day journey, the crew traveled farther into space than anyone before them.
In their new roles, both astronauts plan to share knowledge from their spaceflight experience with current NASA personnel. Glover intends to remain involved in aerospace, leadership, and public service, with a focus on transferring his extensive knowledge of the Orion spacecraft systems to teams preparing for future Artemis missions. Wiseman will likewise continue contributing lessons from his spaceflight career as NASA advances its exploration goals.
NASA leadership expressed confidence that the transition represents a continuation rather than a conclusion of the astronauts’ contributions. Their expertise is expected to support preparations for Artemis III, which is planned for low Earth orbit and will test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial human landing systems. The broader Artemis campaign aims to return American astronauts to the lunar surface with Artemis IV in 2028, a goal for which the astronauts’ experience will prove valuable.
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