Artemis II commander headlining his alma mater's homecoming

Reid Wiseman is enjoying his time home.

The native Marylander and commander of the Artemis II mission is back in the Baltimore area to partake in his alma mater's homecoming festivities. Wiseman attended Dulaney High School in Baltimore County. 

Before those start, he stopped by TV Hill at WJZ to talk about what it's like to be home and the takeaways from his record-breaking mission.

Up and around the moon

While there's no place like home for Wiseman, how can you beat outer space?

Wiseman lead a four-person crew on a ten-day mission around the moon in April. The crew was made up of pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.

They ventured more than 252,000 miles from Earth -- a human spaceflight record.

"When you're on the other side of the moon, looking back at Earth, it's the size of your thumb. It's tiny, we started calling it 'Tiny Earth,'" he said.

Wiseman called it an emotional journey, as he and his crewmates realized what's most important.

"The thing we all agreed on...at the end of the day, it's this beautiful planet. It's family, it's friends, and we just feel lucky to be a part of this entire thing," he said.

While he and the crew got a lot of the fanfare, Wiseman said there are many, many others who deserve the spotlight.

"Charlie Blackwell Thompson, our launch director, who let that rocket fly," Wiseman said. "Our engineering teams down in Houston that flew and operated this vehicle, the mission control team, flight controllers. It didn't really hit me until we got back, but our lives were in their hands. It was deeply impactful for them."

Word of advice

Last week, Wiseman announced he's transitioning to NASA emeritus status.

While retiring from active flight duty, he will be a guide for the next generation of astronauts.

If he could give one piece of advice to anyone, astronaut or not, Wiseman said, "Just stay curious about the world. Get out there, experience this beautiful planet, and I think you're gonna live a happy life."

Wiseman's itinerary

Wiseman will be headlining Dulaney High School's homecoming, where he graduated from in 1993.

He will be taking part in the parade, which is Friday, Sept. 18, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. It will begin at Pot Spring Elementary School.

The route will proceed along Padonia Road to Dulaney High's parking lot.

Wiseman will also be throwing the first pitch at the Orioles game Saturday, Sept. 19, at 4:05. The Orioles are facing the Milwaukee Brewers.