NASA has announced the crew members for its Artemis III mission, marking the next phase in the space agency’s journey to land astronauts on the moon. This announcement follows the Artemis II mission, which set a record by traveling further around the moon than any mission since Apollo 13.
The crew for Artemis III consists of Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas from NASA, and Luca Parmitano from the European Space Agency. Although they will not travel to the moon, their mission includes orbiting Earth and practicing docking the Orion capsule with two lunar landers.
To the Artemis III crew, we wish you Godspeed on the journey ahead,
stated NASA administrator Jared Isaacman.
Two private aerospace companies, SpaceX led by Elon Musk and Blue Origin headed by Jeff Bezos, are working to provide the lunar landers required for this mission. The plan involves a two-week demonstration in 2027. Recently, Blue Origin faced a setback when their large rocket exploded during an engine test in Florida, but NASA’s Jeremy Parsons emphasized that each challenge serves as a learning moment, expressing confidence in the company’s readiness.
The Artemis program seeks to return astronauts to the moon’s surface, a milestone not achieved since the 1970s. Jared Isaacman highlighted a shift in approach, aiming to accelerate progress as seen during the Apollo era. Prior to a planned moon landing in 2028, an Earth orbit flight has been scheduled.
Artemis III commander Bresnik mentioned the sense of humility in leading this mission, while mission specialist Douglas shared his enthusiasm and emotional excitement.
Earlier this year, NASA awarded contracts worth hundreds of millions to various companies including Blue Origin, for developing key components like landers, rovers, and drones necessary for a future moon base. Isaacman indicated that this base could potentially support future missions to Mars.
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