NASA names four astronauts for Artemis III mission planned for 2027
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NASA has announced the four astronauts selected for the Artemis III mission, a major test flight in the agency's Artemis programme that is scheduled for launch in 2027.
The crew will travel aboard the Orion spacecraft, launched on the Space Launch System rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will focus on testing technologies and operations needed for future lunar landings.
NASA said Artemis III has been redesigned as a low-Earth orbit demonstration mission. During the approximately two-week flight, astronauts will practise rendezvous and docking operations with test versions of lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. The mission will also evaluate Orion's systems and new spacesuits.
The crew includes Commander Randy Bresnik, a veteran NASA astronaut and retired US Marine Corps colonel who has spent around 150 days in space and completed 32 hours of spacewalks.
Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency will serve as pilot, becoming the first ESA astronaut assigned to an Artemis mission. Mission specialists are Frank Rubio, who holds the US record for the longest single spaceflight at 371 days, and Andre Douglas, a member of NASA's 2021 astronaut class who will make his first trip to space.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the mission as an "incredibly exciting, complicated, and highly coordinated multi-launch campaign."
"Today we take another bold step in humanity's return to the Moon," Isaacman said. He added that the mission would demonstrate the value of American innovation and international cooperation while advancing technologies needed for future deep-space exploration.
NASA views Artemis III as a key preparation mission for Artemis IV, which is expected to carry astronauts closer to a return to the Moon's surface in 2028.
The mission will require multiple heavy-lift rocket launches and coordination between NASA, international partners, and commercial space companies involved in the Artemis programme.