Baltimore astronaut Reid Wiseman is heading to the moon

BALTIMORE — Baltimore County native Reid Wiseman will serve as the Mission Commander for NASA's upcoming moon mission Artemis II, NASA announced Monday.  

Wiseman is an astronaut, engineer, U.S. Navy Veteran, and graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, But to WJZ, and the Baltimore community, he's even more. 

Raised in Baltimore County, Wiseman is a graduate of Dulaney High.  After high school he earned a degree in Computer and Systems Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, and later, a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.  

Finishing college as a member of ROTC, Wiseman went on to become a recognized veteran, holding five Navy air combat medals, four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and several other service awards.   

In 2014, Wiseman served Flight Engineer aboard the International Space Station for Expedition 41, a mission that lasted 165 days.  According to NASA, he completed "over 300 scientific experiments in areas such as human physiology, medicine, physical science, Earth science and astrophysics" during the expedition.  

Prior to his assignment, Wiseman served as chief of the Astronaut Office from December 2020 until November 2022, NASA said

Despite his notoriety, Wiseman never abandoned his Baltimore roots.  In June 2015, WJZ covered his visit to his old Cockeysville neighborhood, where he encouraged local children to follow their dreams. 

Sparking inspiration in young minds is an opportunity Wiseman said he never misses.  He's even returned to his high school alma mater, Dulaney High, to spread encouraging messages to students.  

"Life may throw you some curve balls and you've got to be ready for that, but just take them and usually those are gifts. When you think something is going off track, that's usually when you can wake up and take a really neat path in life," Wiseman said. 

Accompanying Wiseman on Artemis II, are Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch, and Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen.  

Artemis II is NASA's first mission with crew aboard the agency's foundational deep space rocket. 

The mission will last 10-days, beginning with the launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in November 2024.