NASA Just Revealed The Four Astronauts Taking The Next Giant Leap Back To The Moon!
The crew that will take humanity's next major step toward returning to the lunar surface has officially been named. On June 9, NASA announced the four astronauts assigned to the Artemis III mission: commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and mission specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas. The mission, planned for late 2027, will launch the Orion spacecraft on NASA's Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center into low-Earth orbit, where the crew will perform the first-ever rendezvous and docking tests with the commercial lunar landers being built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Those vehicles will carry astronauts to the Moon's surface during Artemis IV in 2028, the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. "This mission is going to be fantastic," said Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman at the announcement in Houston. "Got Artemis! Go NASA!" Parmitano, visibly emotional at the event, became the first ESA astronaut ever assigned to an Artemis mission. "I'm grateful that NASA has allowed me to be part of this incredible group of people," he said, pointing to his family in the crowd.
Each crew member brings an extraordinary background. Bresnik is a decorated Marine Corps test pilot. Rubio is an Army physician with 28 years of service who previously spent 371 consecutive days on the International Space Station, an American endurance record. Douglas is a Navy pilot making his first spaceflight. Together they represent the next chapter of one of the most ambitious programs in human history. The Moon is within reach. Artemis III is how we get there.
