Reid Wiseman, commander of the Artemis II lunar flyby mission and a former NASA chief astronaut, has been appointed associate vice president at Caltech and deputy director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He begins his new role on Nov. 30, 2026.
Wiseman, an emeritus astronaut and retired U.S. Navy captain, will serve as Caltech associate vice president and JPL deputy director. In that capacity he will be responsible for strategic leadership of laboratory operations, including close partnership with Caltech on institutional planning and compliance, and will serve as JPL’s primary interface for national security programs.
Wiseman commanded the Artemis II test flight alongside Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, a 695,081-mile lunar flyby that took the crew farther from Earth than any humans before them. He previously served as flight engineer aboard the International Space Station for the 165-day Expedition 41 mission in 2014 and as commander of NASA’s 21st Extreme Environment Mission Operations expedition, living for eight days in an ocean-floor habitat in 2016. As NASA’s chief astronaut from December 2020 to November 2022, he oversaw crew flight readiness and safety for all agency human spaceflight missions.
“Reid has spent his career at the edge of what is possible, and he has the technical judgment, operational experience, and leadership to help push that edge farther,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. Dave Gallagher, JPL director and Caltech vice president, said: “It feels fitting for Reid, who with the Artemis II crew traveled farther from Earth than any human in history, to join Caltech and JPL — institutions that for nearly 90 years have sent spacecraft into the far reaches of our solar system and beyond.”
“I’ve explored the furthest reaches of what a human can explore at NASA — and there were truly no words in the English vocabulary to describe seeing the Sun disappear behind the Moon from deep space,” Wiseman said. “But that experience was really the jumping off point to go do the impossible things that Caltech and JPL dream, dare together, and do for NASA and the nation.”
Wiseman holds a bachelor’s degree in computer and systems engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University. He flew combat missions and served as a test pilot in the U.S. Navy before joining NASA’s astronaut corps in 2009. JPL, founded by Caltech, is NASA’s only federally funded research and development center.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Wiseman’s deep-space command experience bridges crewed exploration and robotic science, potentially shaping how JPL integrates astronaut operations with its planetary missions.
- His role as JPL’s interface for national security programs signals increased collaboration between civil space and defense sectors.
- The appointment continues a trend of astronauts moving into institutional leadership, influencing NASA’s long-term exploration strategy.
Background
Wiseman flew to the Moon on Artemis II in 2025, the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo. JPL, founded in 1936, is NASA’s lead center for robotic planetary exploration. Wiseman will report to JPL Director Dave Gallagher and also hold a Caltech vice president role, reflecting the laboratory’s dual management structure.
What to Watch
- Wiseman begins his tenure Nov. 30, 2026, succeeding the previous deputy director.
- Whether his experience on Artemis II influences closer ties between JPL robotic missions and NASA’s human deep-space exploration plans.
- How he manages the laboratory’s national security portfolio, an area that has grown in importance under recent space policy directives.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedReid Wiseman was named JPL deputy director.NASA: “Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman has been named Caltech associate vice president and deputy director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.”
- SupportedWiseman will join Caltech and JPL on November 30, 2026.NASA: “The emeritus astronaut and retired U.S. Navy captain begins his new role at NASA’s center of excellence for robotics and deep space exploration and at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA, on Nov. 30, 2026.”
- SupportedWiseman was appointed Caltech associate vice president and JPL deputy director.NASA: “Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman has been named Caltech associate vice president and deputy director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.”
- SupportedWiseman was a former NASA chief astronaut.NASA: “As the agency’s chief astronaut from December 2020 to November 2022, Wiseman led NASA’s astronaut corps”
- SupportedNASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said: “Reid has spent his career at the edge of what is possible, and he has the technical judgment, operational experience, and leadership to help push that edge farther.”NASA: ““Reid has spent his career at the edge of what is possible, and he has the technical judgment, operational experience, and leadership to help push that edge farther,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.”
- SupportedWiseman commanded the Artemis II test flight alongside Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.NASA: “During the Artemis II test flight, Wiseman , Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen journeyed 695,081 miles on a lunar flyby”
- SupportedThe Artemis II lunar flyby covered 695,081 miles.NASA: “During the Artemis II test flight, Wiseman , Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen journeyed 695,081 miles on a lunar flyby”
- SupportedThe Artemis II crew traveled farther from Earth than any humans before them.NASA: “journeyed 695,081 miles on a lunar flyby that took them farther than any humans have ever traveled before.”
- SupportedDave Gallagher said it was fitting for Wiseman to join Caltech and JPL, noting that the Artemis II crew traveled farther from Earth than any human in history.NASA: ““It feels fitting for Reid, who with the Artemis II crew traveled farther from Earth than any human in history, to join Caltech and JPL — institutions that for nearly 90 years have sent spacecraft into the far reaches of our solar system and beyond,” said Dave Gallagher, JPL director and Caltech vice president.”
- SupportedWiseman said: “I’ve explored the furthest reaches of what a human can explore at NASA — and there were truly no words in the English vocabulary to describe seeing the Sun disappear behind the Moon from deep space.”NASA: ““I’ve explored the furthest reaches of what a human can explore at NASA — and there were truly no words in the English vocabulary to describe seeing the Sun disappear behind the Moon from deep space.”
- SupportedWiseman will lead strategic laboratory operations, partner closely with Caltech on planning and compliance, and serve as JPL’s primary interface for national security programs.NASA: “Wiseman will be responsible for the strategic leadership, stewardship and continuous improvement of laboratory operations, including close partnership with Caltech on institutional planning, management and compliance. ... he will be JPL’s primary interface for national security programs.”
- SupportedWiseman served as NASA’s chief astronaut from December 2020 to November 2022 and oversaw crew flight readiness and safety for NASA human spaceflight missions.NASA: “As the agency’s chief astronaut from December 2020 to November 2022, Wiseman led NASA’s astronaut corps, overseeing crew flight readiness and crew safety for all NASA human spaceflight missions.”
