After Historic Moon Mission: Artemis II Astronauts Wiseman And Glover Leave Active NASA Duty

Two astronauts who helped lead NASA’s Artemis II mission around the Moon are stepping away from active spaceflight, but their move does not mark a complete exit from NASA. The agency announced Wednesday that Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover will leave the active astronaut roster and become emeritus astronauts, allowing NASA to retain their expertise for future lunar missions.

The transition is a career decision rather than a response to any problem with the Artemis II mission. Glover has accepted a leadership position at California Polytechnic State University, his alma mater, where he will help shape long-term strategies and inspire students to pursue science and engineering. His new role began September 1. Glover has indicated that he did not want to simply wait for another spaceflight assignment and instead wanted to broaden his contribution through education and public service. The move will also allow him to spend more time with his wife and four daughters, three of whom attend Cal Poly.

NASA has not disclosed a specific reason for Wiseman's decision to leave the active astronaut corps. His status change will take effect this month, but he will continue supporting NASA by training and mentoring personnel and sharing lessons from Artemis II.

Wiseman and Glover, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, flew around the Moon in April, setting a new distance record for humans. Hansen retired from the Canadian Space Agency in July, leaving Koch as the only Artemis II crew member still on an active astronaut roster.

Wiseman, a former Navy captain, joined NASA in 2009 and spent more than five months aboard the International Space Station. Glover, a former Navy test pilot, joined NASA in 2013 and previously flew a SpaceX mission to the space station.

Their lunar journey also carried a personal moment, with Wiseman and his crew seeking permission to name a Moon crater after his late wife Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020. Last month, the Artemis II crew received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump.