Caltech Names Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman as NASA JPL Deputy

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 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 […]

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  1. Institutional Leadership and Operational Role: Wiseman will serve as Caltech’s associate vice president and JPL’s deputy director starting November 30, 2026. His responsibilities include the strategic leadership, operational stewardship, and continuous improvement of the laboratory, alongside managing the institutional interface between Caltech and NASA.
  2. Application of Astronaut Expertise to JPL Missions: Wiseman's previous experience as chief astronaut (2020–2022) and Artemis II commander provided him with direct expertise in crew flight readiness, safety oversight, and large-scale, high-stakes mission execution. JPL leadership views this background as a 'force-multiplier' for managing the lab's mission support functions and complex robotic exploration initiatives.

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