NASA Announces Four-Astronaut Crew for Artemis III Moon Mission
NASA named three U.S. astronauts and one Italian astronaut from the European Space Agency as the crew for Artemis III, scheduled to launch in 2027. The mission will conduct a docking demonstration in Earth's orbit and test moon landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin. The crew includes a veteran test pilot, a record-holder for longest U.S. spaceflight, and a first-time space flyer.
NASA announced the crew for Artemis III, consisting of mission commander Randy Bresnik (58, a retired Marine Corps colonel and test pilot with three prior spaceflights), pilot Luca Parmitano (49, the first European Space Agency astronaut on an Artemis mission), and mission specialists Frank Rubio (50, who holds the record for longest continuous U.S. spaceflight at 371 days) and Andre Douglas (40, making his first spaceflight). The mission, scheduled for 2027 with no specific launch date yet announced, will involve a docking demonstration with three spacecraft in Earth's orbit and will test moon landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Parmitano's selection marks Italy's involvement in the Artemis program and represents the second non-U.S. citizen on an Artemis mission, following Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on Artemis II.
Limitations & open questions
The article does not specify the exact objectives of the docking demonstration, the timeline for when the mission will actually land on the moon (if at all), or clarify whether Artemis III is the lunar landing mission or a preparatory mission in Earth orbit.
What different sources said
- NDTVCenter
Meet NASA's Artemis III Crew: A Test Pilot, Italian, Record-Holder, First-Timer
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