NASA reveals Artemis III astronaut crew
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The Artemis III crew. From left: Andre Douglas, Luca Parmitano, Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio. Photo: NASA/Bill Stafford
NASA on Tuesday revealed the four-person roster for Artemis III, the next mission in the space agency's quest to return humans to the Moon's surface.
Why it matters: Artemis III will involve key tests of one or both lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, in Earth orbit — similar to Apollo 9 before Apollo 11's historic Moon landing.
- That's after NASA changed Artemis III to a test flight for the landers before a planned Moon landing with Artemis IV.
Driving the news: The Artemis III crew includes mission specialist and first-time astronaut Andre Douglas; mission specialist and record-setting astronaut U.S. Army Col. Frank Rubio, pilot Luca Parmitano (an Italian Air Force colonel and onetime International Space Station commander); and commander Randy Bresnik, a longtime NASA astronaut and former U.S. Marine Corps. colonel.
- NASA astronaut Bob Hines is a backup crew member who will train alongside the main quartet in case he's needed.
- All five astronauts involved are male — a departure from Artemis II, when Christina Koch became the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit.
The plan: Blue Origin's lander will be launched into Earth orbit first, followed by the four astronauts aboard an Orion spacecraft.
- They'll rendezvous in space for docking and testing.
Orion will then detach and await SpaceX's Starship for similar docking and testing before the crew returns home to Earth.
- The two-week mission is set for mid-2027.
What they're saying: "As the first crewed Artemis mission with commercial spacecraft, this test flight will enable us to prove we can carry out highly choreographed operations with our partners across hardware interfaces, software, propulsion systems, and life support elements with crew in the high-stakes space environment," NASA Moon-to-Mars Acting Assistant Deputy Associate Administrator Jeremy Parsons said during a press conference Tuesday.
Reality check: Neither SpaceX nor Blue Origin's landers are ready yet, and the Artemis III mission date could slip.
- Last month's catastrophic explosion involving Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket also stands to complicate the timeline — though Blue Origin Senior Vice President John Couluris promised Tuesday that the company will be ready to launch in 2027.
NASA's Parsons echoed that sentiment, calling setbacks a "learning opportunity."
- "We are confident that New Glenn will be ready for Artemis III," Parsons added.
What's next: The Artemis IV lunar landing is still planned for early 2028 — but any delays for Artemis III could reverberate through the program.
