adminReid Wiseman’s religion is not a declared faith: the Artemis II commander has said “I’m not really a religious person.” What drew attention is a moment after the April 2026 lunar flyby, when he said he broke down in tears on seeing the cross on a Navy chaplain’s collar. No denomination, church membership or conversion has been reported.
Early Life and Background
Gregory Reid Wiseman was born on November 11, 1975, in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in the Cockeysville area. According to Wikipedia, he graduated from Dulaney High School in 1993, earned an engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1997 and a master’s in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2006. He became a Navy aviator, flew F-14 and F/A-18F aircraft, and was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2009. He served aboard the International Space Station in 2014 and was named commander of Artemis II in 2023.
His wife, Carroll Taylor-Wiseman, a neonatal intensive care nurse, died of cancer in 2020; they have two daughters. The sources reviewed do not describe a childhood religion, church or denomination, so his religious upbringing is undocumented.
Reid Wiseman’s Religious Views and the Chaplain Moment
Artemis II flew a lunar flyby from April 1 to April 10, 2026. At a press conference at Johnson Space Center, reported by ChurchLeaders, Wiseman was asked whether the mission had given him a sense of universal connectedness or a shift in consciousness. He answered yes, and said the crew had not yet had time to reflect because their first week home was filled with medical exams and debriefings.
He then described asking for a Navy chaplain to visit. As Christian Today reported, Wiseman said he had never met the man, and that “I saw the cross on his collar and I broke down in tears.” He prefaced the story by saying he is not really a religious person.
Several faith-oriented outlets framed the episode as spiritual, but Wiseman’s own words describe an emotional response to the flight rather than a change in belief. His crewmate Victor Glover, by contrast, is openly Christian, as Crosswalk reported. For another public figure whose faith is described as nonreligious, see Patrick Stewart’s religion, and for a celebrity who publicly questions organized faith, Dan Bilzerian’s religion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What religion is Reid Wiseman?
Reid Wiseman has said he is not a religious person. Speaking after the Artemis II mission in April 2026, he said “I’m not really a religious person,” and no church, denomination or religious affiliation has been reported for him.
Why did Reid Wiseman cry when he saw a cross?
After splashdown, Wiseman asked for a Navy chaplain to visit the crew. He said he had never met the chaplain, and when he saw the cross on the chaplain’s collar he “broke down in tears.” He framed it as an emotional reaction to the flight, not a statement of belief.
Did Reid Wiseman become a Christian after Artemis II?
None of the reporting cited here says he converted. He described a strong emotional moment and a wish to speak with a chaplain, while continuing to describe himself as not religious.
Is Artemis II crewmate Victor Glover religious?
Yes. Crosswalk reported on pilot Victor Glover’s Christian faith. That is separate from Wiseman’s own stated position.
Has Reid Wiseman said what his religious upbringing was?
The sources reviewed do not describe a religious upbringing for Wiseman. They document his birth in Baltimore and his education and Navy career, but not a childhood faith or church membership.
Sources
- Christian Today: Artemis II astronaut who isn’t religious cried seeing the cross after Moon mission (April 22, 2026)
- ChurchLeaders: ‘Not Religious’ Astronaut Reid Wiseman Asked for Chaplain After Emotional Return From Historic Lunar Mission (April 17, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Reid Wiseman
- Crosswalk: Meet the man of faith helping pilot NASA’s historic return to the Moon
