Key facts
- NASA announced the Artemis III astronaut crew: Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and Luca Parmitano.
- The Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2027, will orbit Earth to test lunar landers.
- The first crewed lunar landing is now planned for the Artemis IV mission in 2028.
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman referred to the crew as "Earth's first starfleet."
- Blue Origin is working to recover from a launchpad explosion on May 28 that affected its New Glenn rocket.
NASA has revealed the astronaut crew for the Artemis III mission, which is slated for 2027. The mission will not land on the Moon but will orbit Earth to test lunar landers from private companies Blue Origin and SpaceX. The first crewed lunar landing is now anticipated for the Artemis IV mission in 2028.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced the crew, comprising three Americans—Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas—along with Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (ESA). Bresnik will serve as mission commander, and Parmitano will be the pilot for the two-week test flight in lower Earth orbit. Isaacman referred to the crew as "Earth's first starfleet."
The Artemis III mission aims to test docking procedures and life support systems for the landers. This comes as Blue Origin works to address a launchpad explosion on May 28 that destroyed its New Glenn rocket, a critical component for its lunar lander. NASA is actively involved in assisting Blue Origin with the investigation and recovery efforts, expressing confidence in meeting future commitments.
The Artemis IV mission, scheduled for 2028, is now designated for the first human lunar landing in 56 years, since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The agency highlighted the extensive network of spacecraft required for these future missions, including those from Russia and China, as part of a broader vision for space exploration.