Artemis II Commander and Pilot Step Back from Active Spaceflight

NASA has announced that Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, the commander and pilot of the Artemis II mission, are stepping away from active astronaut duties. The two will assume the role of emeritus astronauts, a designation that allows them to continue contributing their expertise to the agency's lunar exploration program on a volunteer basis.

Glover has already taken up a leadership position at his alma mater, California Polytechnic State University, where he will help shape long-term strategies and encourage students to pursue science and engineering. Wiseman's post-NASA plans have not been disclosed, though his status change is set to take effect this month.

The pair flew around the Moon in April alongside two other crew members, setting a new distance record for human spaceflight. That mission has since seen its crew disperse: Jeremy Hansen retired from the Canadian Space Agency in July, leaving Christina Koch as the only active astronaut from the Artemis II crew.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised the duo, noting their role in a challenging mission and their continued willingness to share what they learned. As emeritus astronauts, Wiseman and Glover will mentor NASA personnel and support training for future lunar missions.

Wiseman, a retired Navy captain selected as an astronaut in 2009, previously spent over five months aboard the International Space Station and later served as NASA's chief astronaut. Glover, a former Navy test pilot and Cal Poly graduate, joined NASA in 2013 and piloted SpaceX's second crewed mission to the station.

Both astronauts left memorable impressions during the lunar journey. Glover reflected on Earth as an oasis in a vast universe, urging a collective sense of unity. Wiseman, meanwhile, moved many when the crew sought permission to name a lunar 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 at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.