Reid Wiseman named deputy director of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Reid Wiseman, the commander of NASA’s Artemis II mission, has been appointed as the Caltech associate vice president and deputy director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Wiseman, a retired U.S. Navy captain and astronaut emeritus, is scheduled to begin his new role on November 30, 2026.

JPL is managed by Caltech for NASA and serves as a center for robotics and deep space exploration. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised Wiseman’s technical judgment and leadership, noting his experience in pushing the boundaries of space exploration.

The appointment follows the retirement of the entire Artemis II crew from active astronaut duty. Following their historic lunar flyby in April, which took the crew further from Earth than any humans in history, mission pilot Victor Glover accepted a role as executive advisor at California Polytechnic State University, while mission specialist Christina Koch was appointed as NASA’s acting deputy chief engineer. Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen has entered reservist duty with the Royal Canadian Air Force.