NASA Names Four-Astronaut Crew for Artemis III Moon Mission Launching in 2027
NASA announced on Tuesday that U.S. astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas, along with Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, will crew the Artemis III mission scheduled for 2027. The mission will conduct a docking demonstration in Earth's orbit involving spacecraft from SpaceX and Blue Origin, marking the first in-space test of moon landers from both companies. The crew selection highlights international collaboration in NASA's lunar program and includes a record-holder for longest U.S. spaceflight and a first-time space flyer.
NASA has selected a four-person crew for Artemis III, its next major lunar exploration mission planned for 2027. The crew comprises mission commander Randy Bresnik, a 58-year-old test pilot and retired Marine Corps colonel with three previous spaceflights and 150 days in space; pilot Luca Parmitano, a 49-year-old Italian ESA astronaut making him the first European Space Agency astronaut on an Artemis mission; mission specialist Frank Rubio, a 50-year-old who holds the U.S. record for longest continuous spaceflight at 371 days; and mission specialist Andre Douglas, a 40-year-old first-time space flyer with advanced engineering credentials. The mission will conduct a docking demonstration involving three spacecraft in Earth's orbit, testing moon landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin for the first time in space. This selection underscores NASA's commitment to international partnership in its Artemis program, with Parmitano representing Italy's expanded role alongside other international partners.
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- The Straits TimesCenter
NASA's Artemis III crew: a test pilot, an Italian, a record-holder and a first-timer
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