Artemis II commander returns home

Reid Wiseman, who commanded the first crewed moon mission in over 50 years, returned to his native Maryland five months after splashing down from the historic journey.

Dulaney High School honors its famous alumnus

Wiseman served as grand marshal of his alma mater's homecoming parade in Timonium, Maryland, where hundreds lined the streets to celebrate the Cockeysville native.

Parade route filled with celebration

Families in lawn chairs, students in school colors, and a child in an orange spacesuit lined East Padonia Road as Wiseman rode in a Jeep, tossing mission patches and high-fiving the school mascot.

Wiseman reflects on the mission

Standing on stage, the 50-year-old told the crowd that when a quarter million miles away, Earth becomes thumb-sized, and only family and friends truly matter.

“We were a quarter million miles away. Earth was the size of our thumb. And, when you're that far away, the only thing that counts is where you're from and your friends and your family.”

Classmates witness his transformation

Karen Cirrincione, who played in the marching band with Wiseman, said watching her former classmate travel to the moon was amazing and couldn't have happened to a better person.

“The kid who sits next to you in class is then doing that. It's amazing. It couldn't happen to a better person.”

Space enthusiasts make the trip

Eric Mahala, a Harford County resident and lifelong space fan, came out to meet Wiseman after following the Artemis II mission closely while the crew was in space.

Wiseman's path to the stars

A 1993 Dulaney graduate, Wiseman served as a Navy pilot during the Iraq War and as a test pilot before NASA selected him for astronaut training in 2009. His high school yearbook caption read: FUTURE PLANS: Fly high.

“FUTURE PLANS: Fly high.”

Artemis II reached unprecedented distance

This spring, Wiseman and crewmates Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen traveled about 252,756 miles from Earth, farther than any humans before, looping around the moon and capturing unprecedented views of the lunar far side.

Honoring his late wife from space

The crew proposed naming a lunar crater after Wiseman's wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020, creating one of the mission's most poignant moments.

Congressional honor and local celebrations

President Donald Trump presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the Artemis II crew in August. Wiseman is now scheduled to throw the first pitch at an Orioles game and lead pregame festivities at the Ravens' home opener.

Reid Wiseman Way honors the astronaut

Baltimore County named the intersection of Padonia and Treherne roads Reid Wiseman Way. County Executive Kathy Klausmeier presented him with an enlarged replica of the street sign during the parade.

“For the kids that are here, when you work hard and never stop reaching for the stars, you can truly accomplish anything.”