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Artemis II commander and pilot become NASA's first astronaut emeriti

2026-09-10 | original
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Why This Matters

NASA has created an astronaut emeritus track, and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover are the first to use it — letting them take outside jobs while remaining on call to mentor and advise future Artemis crews. It's a practical way for the agency to retain hard-won Orion flight experience at a moment when Artemis III is ramping up, rather than losing it to full retirement.

Key Takeaways
Worth a Look

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The commander and pilot of NASA’s Artemis II mission have gained a new distinction five months after splashing down from the Moon: They’re not fully retiring from the space agency.

Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover are the first astronauts to join NASA’s emeritus program, enabling them to continue to support the work being done at Johnson Space Center in Houston. They will remain available to train and mentor the current workforce while still being able to pursue employment and opportunities outside of NASA.

“I have asked NASA … to not use the term ‘retire’ as much, but technically emeritus is a retirement program,” Glover told collectSPACE.com on Wednesday. “It’s something we have typically done for scientists when they have groundbreaking research, and they want to go back to academia to teach or to research and publish.”

Glover has accepted a full-time administrative leadership position at his alma mater, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, helping shape the school’s long-term strategies. Concurrently, he has committed to NASA to be available to convey his knowledge of the Orion spacecraft and its systems, among other expertise, to future Artemis missions.

“You can be paid or you can be a gratis service, which is compensation waived, and that’s what I’m doing,” Glover said. “So I’m not going to be paid for it, but I’ll be able to voluntarily be an advisor or a consultant providing insight into what living in Orion is like.”

Credit: NASA Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman (at left) hands off the baton to Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik as their crewmates look on at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on June 9, 2026. Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman (at left) hands off the baton to Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik as their crewmates look on at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on June 9, 2026. Credit: NASA

Glover will be issued an access badge and plans to be present at the training simulation runs and hopes to be a part of establishing a new initiative, the United States Space Academy, serving NASA and the US Space Force.

Explore topics: artemis ii nasa reid wiseman victor glover orion spacecraft
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