NASA has unveiled new details about Artemis III, one of the most ambitious human spaceflight missions planned in decades, while also introducing the four astronauts who will fly the mission and a backup crew member. Scheduled for 2027, Artemis III will carry out a series of complex tests in Earth orbit that are considered critical for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the Moon's South Pole in 2028.
The mission will launch aboard NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending the Orion spacecraft and its crew into low Earth orbit. Once Orion completes initial system checks, it will attempt rendezvous and docking operations for the first time with test versions of lunar landers being developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX. The mission is designed to evaluate how Orion and the landers work together, including their software, communications, propulsion systems, and other key technologies.
Artemis III Crew Announced
NASA named the following astronauts to the Artemis III crew:
NASA astronaut Bob Hines was selected as the backup crew member.
The astronauts will begin training immediately on Orion systems while also supporting the development and testing of the Blue Origin and SpaceX lander prototypes that will be used during the mission.
"Today we take another bold step in humanity's return to the Moon, building on the extraordinary foundation laid by the Artemis II astronauts," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. "Their achievements reignited global excitement for exploration, and now they pass the torch to the Artemis III team, Randy, Luca, Frank, and Andre. Artemis III will demonstrate the power of American innovation and international partnership as we test complex rendezvous and docking operations and advance the technologies that will one day carry us deeper into the solar system. This mission will require the most awe-inspiring coordination of heavy-lift rocket launches in history, drawing on the talent and capability of teams across government and the spaceflight community. The Artemis III astronauts, alongside ESA and our international partners, and the tens of thousands of the best and brightest across the agency and industry, are ushering in a new Golden Age of exploration carrying forward the hopes and dreams of the next generation just as the Apollo astronauts did for so many of us."
Parmitano's assignment marks the first time an ESA astronaut has been selected for an Artemis mission.
"Artemis III will push the boundaries of spacecraft operations in orbit. Luca's assignment as pilot reflects the depth of European expertise in human spaceflight and draws on his extensive operational experience in high-pressure situations," said Josef Aschbacher, ESA's director general. "At the same time, ESA's European Service Module will once again provide the critical capabilities that power Orion, demonstrating Europe's enduring role at the very heart of the Artemis program. The news out of Houston today is a powerful recognition of ESA's role in enabling humanity's return to the Moon -- and a key advancement in our partnership with NASA. Europeans can take pride in being part of this exciting journey."
Artemis III Hardware and Mission Preparations
NASA and its partners continue to make progress preparing for the mission.
This summer, engineers plan to join Orion's crew module and service module and install the spacecraft's docking system, which will fly for the first time. Testing of Orion's heat shield also continues, with individual heat shield blocks undergoing ultrasonic inspections before installation.
Work on the SLS rocket is advancing as well. Teams are currently integrating the engine section with the rest of the core stage before installing four RS-25 engines later this summer. All solid rocket booster segments have arrived at Kennedy Space Center, and upgrades to the mobile launcher remain on schedule. Rocket stacking is expected to begin this summer. NASA also is designing and building a spacer that will take the place of the upper stage for Artemis III.
Blue Origin is developing a crewed version of its Blue Moon lunar lander, while SpaceX is creating a crewed lunar version of Starship. Both companies are building test vehicles for Artemis III. NASA is working closely with each company throughout design, development, testing, and evaluation, sharing expertise gained from decades of human spaceflight experience.
During the announcement event, NASA also outlined how Artemis III operations will help increase launch cadence, expand production capabilities, and strengthen supply chains throughout the Artemis program.
The mission follows the successful Artemis II flight completed in April and is intended to help prepare NASA for future crewed missions to Mars.
How the Artemis III Mission Will Work
Artemis III will involve multiple launches of some of the most powerful rockets ever built.
The first launch will send Blue Origin's lander pathfinder into orbit, where it can remain for several weeks while waiting for the crew. NASA will then launch Orion and its astronauts aboard SLS. After reaching orbit, Orion will rendezvous and dock with the Blue Origin test lander. The two spacecraft are expected to remain connected for roughly two days while the crew conducts tests and demonstrations, including entering the lander.
After completing those activities, Orion will separate and wait for SpaceX's Starship pathfinder. Once launched, Starship will meet Orion in orbit and remain docked for approximately one day while engineers and astronauts carry out additional testing and system evaluations.
Following completion of the docking demonstrations, Orion will return the crew to Earth. The spacecraft will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, where NASA and the U.S. Navy will recover the astronauts.
The crew is expected to spend about two weeks in space, although the final mission duration will depend on launch schedules, rendezvous timing, and the success of docking operations.
Meet the Artemis III Astronauts
For Randy Bresnik, Artemis III will be his third trip to space. He first flew aboard space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station in 2009. He later traveled to the station aboard Soyuz MS-05, serving as a flight engineer for Expedition 52 and commander of Expedition 53. Bresnik, a California native, graduated from The Citadel with a mathematics degree and joined NASA's astronaut corps in 2004. A retired U.S. Marine colonel, he has accumulated more than 7,000 flight hours across 95 aircraft types and currently helps oversee spacecraft and system development for Artemis missions.
Luca Parmitano also will be making his third spaceflight. Selected by ESA in 2009, he first traveled to the International Space Station in 2013 aboard a Soyuz spacecraft as part of the Italian Space Agency's (ASI) first long-duration station mission. He returned in 2019 aboard Soyuz MS-13 and served as commander of Expedition 61, becoming the first Italian and the third European to command the station. Parmitano holds degrees in political sciences and experimental flight test engineering and has logged more than 2,000 flight hours across 40 aircraft types.
Frank Rubio will be making his second spaceflight. He launched aboard Soyuz MS-22 on Sept. 21, 2022, and returned on Sept. 27, 2023, after spending 371 days in orbit, setting the record for the longest single space mission by an American astronaut. Selected by NASA in 2017, Rubio graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and later earned a medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He has served for more than 28 years in the U.S. Army as an aviator, physician, and astronaut.
Andre Douglas will be making his first trip to space. Chosen as a NASA astronaut in 2021, he previously served as a backup and closeout crew member for Artemis II. Douglas graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a degree in mechanical engineering and later earned four advanced degrees, including a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University. His career has included Coast Guard search and rescue operations, maritime salvage missions, drug interdiction work, and research at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory involving autonomous systems, space technologies, and undersea platforms.
Backup astronaut Bob Hines will train alongside the primary crew and could replace any astronaut unable to fly the mission. Hines previously served as pilot of NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station. Selected by NASA in 2017, he worked as a research pilot at Johnson Space Center and is a U.S. Air Force colonel with more than 27 years of experience as an instructor pilot, fighter pilot, and test pilot.
As NASA continues its Artemis program, the agency plans to send astronauts on increasingly ambitious missions to explore more of the Moon, support scientific discovery, create economic opportunities, establish a long-term human presence on the lunar surface, and build the experience needed for the first crewed journeys to Mars.
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