Artemis III crew: Nasa names four astronauts for next test flight

Nasa has named four astronauts for its next Artemis moon program mission, including three U.S. astronauts and one from Italy.

The crew will take on a series of challenging tests in Earth orbit in 2027 that are essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the lunar South Pole in 2028.

Randy Bresnik will serve as mission commander, Andre Douglas as mission specialist, Luca Parmitano as pilot and Frank Rubio as mission specialist.

Artemis III will mark Bresnik’s third mission to space, having launched aboard space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station in 2009. He later flew on the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the space station.

Parmitano is also slated to achieve his third spaceflight. He was selected by ESA as an astronaut in 2009 and served as a flight engineer on the Italian Space Agency’s first long-duration mission to the space station, launching on a Soyuz from Baikonur in 2013. He returned to the orbital laboratory in 2019 aboard Soyuz MS-13 for his second mission.

Rubio is making his second trip to space after launching aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from Baikonur to the space station on Sept. 21, 2022. He returned on Sept. 27, 2023, breaking the record for the longest single-duration spaceflight by an American astronaut with 371 days in orbit.

The Artemis III mission is Douglas’ first spaceflight. He previously served as a backup and closeout crew member for the agency’s Artemis II mission.

“Today we take another bold step in humanity’s return to the Moon, building on the extraordinary foundation laid by the Artemis II astronauts,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said. “Their achievements reignited global excitement for exploration, and now they pass the torch to the Artemis III team, Randy, Luca, Frank, and Andre.”

He continued, “Artemis III will demonstrate the power of American innovation and international partnership as we test complex rendezvous and docking operations and advance the technologies that will one day carry us deeper into the solar system.

“This mission will require the most awe-inspiring coordination of heavy-lift rocket launches in history, drawing on the talent and capability of teams across government and the spaceflight community. The Artemis III astronauts, alongside ESA and our international partners, and the tens of thousands of the best and brightest across the agency and industry, are ushering in a new Golden Age of exploration carrying forward the hopes and dreams of the next generation just as the Apollo astronauts did for so many of us.”

Tuesday’s announcement marks the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned an Artemis mission. NASA astronaut Bob Hines, who previously served as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station, was named as a backup crew member. He would join the Artemis III crew if a primary crew member is unable to participate in the mission.

The space agency said the crew will begin training immediately on Orion spacecraft systems and assist in the development and operations of the test versions of Blue Origin and SpaceX landers.

The crew was unveiled two months after Nasa sent astronauts on a record-setting lunar flyby.