NASA on Tuesday unveiled the crew selected for its Artemis III mission, marking the next major milestone in the agency’s effort to return humans to the Moon and pave the way for future deep-space exploration.
The announcement comes just two months after the successful Artemis II mission, which completed a record-setting journey around the Moon, surpassing the distance record previously held by Apollo 13.
The Artemis III crew will consist of NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas, alongside European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano. While the mission will not land on the Moon, it will serve as a critical rehearsal for future lunar expeditions.
During the planned two-week mission, currently targeted for 2027, the astronauts will remain in Earth orbit while conducting docking exercises between NASA’s Orion spacecraft and lunar landers being developed for future Moon missions.
“To the Artemis III crew, we wish you Godspeed on the journey ahead,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said during the announcement.
Meanwhile, SpaceX and Blue Origin continue competing to provide the lunar landing systems that will support NASA’s long-term lunar ambitions.
Blue Origin recently faced a setback after one of its large rockets exploded during an engine test at a Florida launch facility, producing a massive fireball and shaking nearby communities. Despite the incident, NASA officials remain confident the company can meet its development schedule.
“Setbacks like these are opportunities to learn,” said NASA’s Jeremy Parsons, adding that the agency believes Blue Origin’s lander program will be ready when needed.
NASA’s Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo era ended in the 1970s. Following a recent restructuring announced by Isaacman, the agency has added the Artemis III Earth-orbit demonstration mission to accelerate preparations for a crewed lunar landing, currently targeted for 2028.
“We are certainly humbled as a crew to be able to execute this Artemis III mission,” said mission commander Randy Bresnik.
Mission specialist Andre Douglas described the moment as both exciting and emotional.
“My brain is going a mile a minute right now,” Douglas said. “But my heart is so warm. It is so full.”
Earlier this year, NASA awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to several companies, including Blue Origin, to develop lunar landers, rovers, and robotic systems intended to support a future Moon base. According to Isaacman, establishing a sustained presence on the Moon is a key step toward the agency’s long-term goal of sending humans to Mars.
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