Nasa reveals Artemis III crew for next step towards Moon landing
- Published
Nasa has announced the four astronauts selected for its next Artemis mission.
The Artemis III crew will be led by commander Randy Bresnik, with European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano of Italy serving as pilot. Nasa astronauts Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio complete the crew as mission specialists.
Andre Douglas was the first crew member to speak following the announcement.
"My heart is so warm, it is so full," he said.
Douglas previously served as a backup crew member for Artemis II, and Artemis III will mark his first journey into space.
Fellow mission specialist Frank Rubio holds the American record for the longest single spaceflight, having spent 371 consecutive days in orbit.
Pilot Luca Parmitano made history as the first Italian astronaut, and only the third European, to command the International Space Station. He is also known for surviving a spacewalk incident during which water began filling his helmet.
Commander Randy Bresnik has been a Nasa astronaut since 2004. He described Artemis III as the most important step yet in humanity's return to the Moon.
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What does the Artemis III mission involve?
The Artemis III mission is currently planned for 2027.
Unlike some earlier Moon mission plans, this flight is now designed to stay in low Earth orbit, instead of landing on the Moon.
Low Earth orbit is the area of space close to Earth where satellites travel around our planet, and also the International Space Station (ISS), where astronauts live and work.
Like Artemis II, which launched earlier this year, the Artemis III mission will launch the four astronauts aboard Nasa's Orion spacecraft on top of the huge Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
The Human Landing System (HLS) is the mode of transportation that will take astronauts to the lunar surface as part of the Artemis program - Nasa will choose between two private companies SpaceX's Starship (L) and Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2 (R)
Once in orbit, Orion will practise meeting and docking with two special Moon landers being built and sent into space by private companies: SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2.
Orion will dock one lander at a time, with astronauts practicing moving from one craft to the other.
This matters because astronauts on later missions will need to swap from Orion into a lander before heading down to the Moon's surface.
Nasa says Artemis III is an important test to make sure everything is safe before future Moon landings.
"In total, we expect the mission to last around two weeks," says Jeremy Parsons from Nasa's Moon to Mars Program Office.
"This mission is deliberately designed to take calculated risks so that future crews will be safer and ultimately successful when we put boots on the lunar surface."
What did Artemis II achieve?
Astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows, looking back at Earth
Earlier this year, Artemis II made history when it launched on 1 April 2026 and carried four astronauts on a journey around the Moon and back to Earth.
It marked the first crewed flight of the Orion capsule, and lasting nearly 10 days, it helped Nasa test life-support systems and deep-space travel with people on board.
During the mission, the Artemis II crew, inside their capsule, travelled further from Earth than any people had ever travelled before, setting a new spaceflight record.
Like Artemis II, which launched earlier this year, the Artemis III and IV missions will launch the four astronauts aboard Nasa's Orion spacecraft on top of the huge Space Launch System (SLS) rocket
When will an Artemis mission land on the Moon?
After Artemis III, Nasa says Artemis IV is planned for 2028 and is expected to be the mission that actually takes astronauts to the Moon's surface.
China is targeting a crewed landing of its own by 2030.
But with many stages still needing to be checked and tested before that point, Dr Simeon Barber, lunar scientist at The Open University, told the BBC that: "It would not surprise me at all if China gets there first."
So, while Artemis III will not land on the Moon itself, it is hoped the mission will be the next giant leap, moving Nasa a step closer to its long-awaited return to the lunar surface.
