NASA Announces Artemis III Crew for Earth Orbit Testing Mission
NASA has named four astronauts—Commander Randy Bresnik, Italian pilot Luca Parmitano, and US mission specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas—to crew the Artemis III mission. The two-week mission will orbit Earth to test lunar landers and docking procedures rather than approach the moon, scheduled for launch in late 2027. This mission represents a critical step in NASA's plan to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since the 1970s.
NASA has revealed the crew for Artemis III, the next phase in its lunar exploration program. The mission will be commanded by Randy Bresnik and piloted by Luca Parmitano, making Parmitano the first European astronaut to join an Artemis mission. They will be accompanied by US mission specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas. Unlike previous announcements, Artemis III will not approach the moon but instead conduct a two-week orbital mission around Earth, during which the crew will practice docking their Orion capsule with two lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. The mission is scheduled for launch in late 2027 and serves as the final preparation before NASA attempts to land astronauts on the lunar surface in 2028, marking humanity's return to the moon for the first time since the 1970s.
What different sources said
- ABC AustraliaCenter
NASA announces Artemis III crew
- Phys.orgCenter
NASA unveils Artemis III astronauts to test technology for a future moon landing
- The HillCenter
NASA reveals Artemis III crew
- The HillCenter
NASA reveals Artemis III crew
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