NASA Selects Four-Person Crew for Artemis III Orbital Docking Test Mission in 2027
NASA announced on June 9 that three US astronauts (Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, Randy Bresnik) and Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano will crew Artemis III, a 2027 mission to test SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon landers in Earth orbit before lunar surface missions. The two-week mission will involve multiple spacecraft docking and testing in low-Earth orbit, serving as a critical validation of the landers before crewed moon landings. The mission represents a key step in NASA's Artemis program to establish long-term human presence on the moon amid competition from China's 2030 lunar landing target.
NASA named the crew for Artemis III on June 9, selecting US astronauts Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, and Randy Bresnik alongside Italian ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano. Scheduled for late 2027, the mission will conduct the first in-space test of SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon lunar landers through a complex orbital docking sequence in low-Earth orbit. The spacecraft will launch separately—Blue Moon first, followed by NASA's Orion capsule carrying the crew, then Starship—and will dock with Orion for testing and technology demonstrations before returning to Earth. This mission follows Artemis II, which flew four astronauts around the moon in April 2024, and precedes planned lunar surface landings. The mission was restructured in 2025 after SpaceX and Blue Origin proposed accelerated development timelines, replacing earlier plans for a lunar Gateway station. Both companies have faced development delays, with Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploding in May 2024, though the company expects to resume launches by year-end.
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- The Straits TimesCenter
NASA taps US, Italian astronauts for Artemis III mission with SpaceX, Blue Origin mooncraft
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