Reid Wiseman named Caltech associate vice president and NASA JPL deputy

NASA announced Thursday 29 October 2026 that Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman has been named Caltech associate vice president and deputy director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The emeritus astronaut and retired U.S. Navy captain will begin the role on Nov. 30, 2026.

According to the agency, Wiseman will provide strategic leadership, stewardship and continuous improvement of laboratory operations at NASA’s center of excellence for robotics and deep space exploration. His work will include institutional planning, management and compliance in partnership with Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA.

As Center Management Authority for JPL mission execution, Wiseman will ensure operational excellence across mission support functions under NASA requirements and applicable federal and state regulations. He will also serve as JPL’s primary interface for national security programs.

During the Artemis II test flight, Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen journeyed 695,081 miles on a lunar flyby that took them farther than any humans have ever traveled before. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Wiseman’s technical judgment, operational experience and leadership would help JPL push further.

Wiseman joined NASA’s astronaut corps in 2009 and served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station during the 165-day Expedition 41 mission in 2014. He commanded NASA’s 21st Extreme Environment Mission Operations expedition and lived for eight days in a habitat on the ocean floor in 2016.

He was NASA’s chief astronaut from December 2020 to November 2022, when he oversaw crew flight readiness and safety for NASA human spaceflight missions. Wiseman will join JPL as it approaches its 90th anniversary since being founded by Caltech. JPL Director Dave Gallagher said Wiseman would strengthen the leadership team as the lab builds on its legacy and shapes its future.