GoKawiilNASA names Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover its first astronaut emeriti
NASA has created an emeritus status for Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, the commander and pilot of Artemis II, five months after their lunar mission splashdown. The designation lets them leave active astronaut duty and pursue outside careers—Glover is taking a leadership role at Cal Poly—while remaining available unpaid to train and advise NASA staff on Orion spacecraft systems.
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NASA is borrowing an academic model to retain the institutional knowledge of veteran astronauts without keeping them on payroll, ensuring their firsthand Orion experience benefits future Artemis crews like Artemis III. It also signals how the agency may manage its aging astronaut corps as more crews return from deep-space missions.
- Wiseman and Glover are NASA's first astronauts granted emeritus status.
- The role allows them to mentor and train staff on a volunteer, unpaid basis.
- Glover is simultaneously taking a full-time leadership position at Cal Poly.
LEGO Technic NASA Artemis Space Launch System — If Artemis II's crew has you hooked on the return to the Moon, this LEGO build recreates the towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft that Wiseman and Glover flew. It's a satisfying display piece and a great way to get kids curious about the Artemis program.
See LEGO Technic NASA Artemis Space Launch System on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-09-10
Published there as: “Artemis II commander and pilot become NASA's first astronaut emeriti”
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