Reid Wiseman Explained

Reid Wiseman
Birth Name:Gregory Reid Wiseman
Birth Date:11 November 1975
Birth Place:Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Awards:Air Medal
Education:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (BS)
Johns Hopkins University (MS)
Type:NASA astronaut
Rank:Captain, USN
Time:165d 8h 1m
Selection:NASA Group 20 (2009)
Eva1:2
Eva2:12h 47m
Mission:Soyuz TMA-13M (Expedition 40/41)
Artemis 2

Gregory Reid Wiseman (born November 11, 1975) is an American astronaut, engineer, and naval aviator.[1] He served as Chief of the Astronaut Office until November 14, 2022.

Wiseman was selected in June 2009 as a member of the NASA Astronaut Group 20 and qualified as an astronaut in 2011. Wiseman took part in his first spaceflight as part of the crew of Expedition 40/41, which launched to the International Space Station on May 28, 2014, and returned on November 10, 2014.[2] Before joining NASA, Wiseman was a naval aviator and test pilot. Wiseman was the Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office from June 2017, working under Chief Astronaut Patrick Forrester. On December 18, 2020, he was promoted to Chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA. In December, 2022. Wiseman stepped down from this position and was replaced by his deputy, Drew Feustel who became acting chief until Joseph Acaba assumed the role as Chief in February, 2023.

Wiseman was selected as commander of the crew for the Artemis 2 flight, which is planned to make a flyby of the Moon in 2025. Wiseman would be the first commander of a lunar mission since Gene Cernan on Apollo 17 in 1972.

Personal life and education

Reid Wiseman is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and a graduate of Dulaney High School in the suburb of Timonium. He earned a degree in computer and systems engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.[3] He subsequently obtained a master's degree in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore in 2006.

Wiseman was married to Carroll (Taylor) Wiseman until her death in 2020. He has two daughters.[4] He is also a go-cart driver.

Navy career

Reid was commissioned through the NROTC program following graduation from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1997 and reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, for flight training. He was designated a Naval Aviator in 1999 and reported to Fighter Squadron 101, Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, for transition to the F-14 Tomcat. Following his initial training, Reid was assigned to Fighter Squadron 31, also at NAS Oceana, and made two deployments to the Middle East supporting Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.

During his second deployment in 2003, he was selected to attend the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (NTPS) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland with NTPS Class 125. Following graduation in June 2004, Reid was assigned as a Test Pilot and Project Officer at Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23) at NAS Patuxent River. At VX-23, Reid earned his M.S. degree and worked on various flight test programs involving the F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18 Hornet weapons separation, ship suitability, and the T-45 Goshawk.

Following his tour at NAS Patuxent River, Reid reported to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) as the Strike Operations Officer, where he completed a deployment around South America. From there he was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 103 at NAS Oceana, flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet. He was deployed to the Middle East when he was selected for Astronaut training. While serving with various U.S. Navy units, he was awarded the Air Medal with Combat V (five awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat V (four awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various other campaign and service awards.

NASA career

On June 29, 2009, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced Wiseman's selection as one of nine candidates from 3,500 applicants to begin astronaut training.[1] At the time, he was serving as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, flying as a pilot with Strike Fighter Squadron 103 on the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), and based at NAS Oceana, Virginia. Wiseman said he often went to the U.S. Navy's "Blue Angels" shows as a youth and developed the strong desire to become an astronaut when he saw a Space Shuttle launch in person in 2001.

Expedition 40/41

Wiseman was part of the Expedition 40/41 International Space Station crew. The mission was six months in duration and lasted from May to November 2014. Wiseman launched at 19:57 UTC on May 28, 2014.[5] [2] The mission returned to Earth at 03:58 UTC on November 10, 2014.[6]

Chief of the Astronaut Office

Wiseman was selected to be the new chief of the Astronaut Office on December 18, 2020, replacing Patrick Forrester. He previously served as Forrester's deputy chief of the Astronaut Office.[7] He stepped down as chief on November 14, 2022, to return to the active flight rotation.

Artemis II commander

On April 3, 2023, Wiseman was selected as the crew commander for the Artemis II mission, which is planned to pass by the Moon no earlier than September 2025.[8] He will be joined by NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.[9]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NASA Selects New Astronauts for Future Space Exploration . NASA HQ. June 29, 2009. NASA. June 29, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090801162824/http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/ascans2009.html. August 1, 2009.
  2. Web site: Clark. Stephen. Mission Status Center. Spaceflight Now. May 28, 2014.
  3. News: Roylance. Frank D.. Gregory Wiseman picked to be astronaut. June 30, 2009. The Baltimore Sun. 4.
  4. Web site: Bio: Gregory R. Wiseman. NASA. September 2009. NASA. October 11, 2009.
  5. Web site: ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst to fly to Space Station in 2014. European Space Agency. September 18, 2011. November 24, 2011.
  6. Web site: Expedition 41 Lands Safely in Kazakhstan. November 9, 2014 . NASA. November 10, 2014.
  7. Web site: NASA Names Astronaut Reid Wiseman New Chief of Astronaut Office . Jsc.nasa.gov . January 22, 2021. December 17, 2020.
  8. News: Harwood . William . NASA introduces 4 astronauts who will fly to the moon on Artemis II mission. 3 April 2023 . CBS News . 3 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230403165227/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nasa-artemis-ii-astronauts-moon-mission-crew/ . 3 April 2023 . live.
  9. News: Nicole . Mortillaro . 'It is glorious,' says astronaut Jeremy Hansen, announced as 1st Canadian to go to the Moon . CBC News . 3 April 2023 . 3 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230403171304/https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/-astronauts-1.6796246 . 3 April 2023 . live.