Photo: MIGUEL J RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO / AFP / Getty Images
An RPI graduate is taking the helm as NASA launches its first human mission to the moon in more than 50 years. Reid Wiseman, a 1997 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), will command the Artemis Two mission, set to lift off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida this evening.
The Artemis Two mission includes a crew of four astronauts- Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—and will last 10 days, looping around the moon before returning to Earth. This flight is a major step on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term human presence on the moon, according to reporting from the Times Union.
Wiseman, a Baltimore native and retired Navy captain, was selected as an astronaut in 2009 and previously spent 165 days aboard the International Space Station in 2014. He joined the Navy after graduating from RPI and became a test pilot in 2003—a common background for astronauts headed to lunar missions. In a recent interview, Wiseman credited RPI for preparing him to face challenges, stating, “This place taught me failure resistance. This place just prepared you to go out and change the world.”
After the loss of his wife to cancer in 2020, Wiseman focused on raising his daughters before accepting NASA’s invitation to command Artemis Two. He explained the decision was not easy, sharing, “My kids were not overly supportive at first. We had a lot of conversations before I said yes.” According to the Space.com interview, his daughters, now teenagers, have written letters that he will carry with him on the mission.
The Artemis Two crew will test NASA’s new Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft, paving the way for a planned moon landing on Artemis Four in 2028. This mission will also mark several historic firsts: Glover will become the first Black astronaut to leave low Earth orbit, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first Canadian and non-American to do so.
NASA has scheduled several potential launch dates, starting today, but weather or technical issues—such as recurring hydrogen leaks—could delay liftoff. If the rocket doesn’t launch by April 6, the next window opens on April 30, as outlined by the Kennedy Space Center.
Reflecting on the mission’s significance, Wiseman said, “We really want the whole world to feel like they are a part of this mission. I think that's good for our nation. It is good for America to make the whole world feel like they're a part of this. We are all on this journey together.”
Should the launch proceed as planned, Artemis Two will be the first crewed moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972, moving humanity one step closer to returning to the lunar surface.