NASA has named four astronauts to the next Artemis mission that will practice new maneuvers in space — crucial demonstrations of hardware intended to return humans to the moon's surface.

U.S. astronauts Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, and Commander Randy Bresnik will lead the Artemis III mission, along with European Space Agency pilot Luca Parmitano. The mission is expected to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as early as mid-2027. 

Just since February, NASA has rebuilt the Artemis III mission plan from the ground up, after a sharp course change in the moon program early this year. The space agency, under NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, now treats the flight as a fast‑tracked test in Earth orbit, rather than the United States' triumphant return to the lunar surface.

The revamped mission serves as a high-stakes dress rehearsal that aims to prove NASA and its partners can connect the Orion spacecraft and landers together in space. For the first time, NASA will coordinate a launch campaign involving multiple spacecraft. This one mission, expected to last about two weeks, will involve three separate rocket launches, two dockings in orbit, and one high-speed splashdown. 

"Think about how many spacecraft, all of which will eventually carry human beings, will be in orbit at the same time, from Dragon, Shenzhou, Soyuz, possibly Starliner, Starship, and Blue Origin landers," said Isaacman during a news conference in Houston on Tuesday. "This seems like the beginning of the future that we imagined as children. This seems like the very beginning of Earth's first Starfleet to me." 

Artemis II, which successfully looped around the moon this spring with a crew, checked out Orion's life‑support systems, navigation, and heat shield in deep space. 

But Artemis III shifts the focus from the lunar environment to space much closer to home. The new concept involves NASA launching four astronauts from Florida on the Space Launch System rocket, sending them into low-Earth orbit and having Orion dock with new commercially built landing vehicles from SpaceX and Blue Origin. Those landers will eventually function as taxis: They will carry crews down to the moon from Orion on later missions.

Despite a massive setback for Blue Origin on May 28, NASA said both commercial partners will be part of the Artemis III mission. Blue Origin's 322-foot New Glenn rocket exploded in a fireball during a routine ground test. While the explosion ranked as one of the largest rocket test accidents in U.S. history, all personnel were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. 

But because the launchpad was completely destroyed, many speculated as to whether the company would be able to participate in the Artemis III orbital tests immediately after the disaster. 

"We recognize there are questions about how Blue Origin's recent anomaly impacts our plans," said Jeremy Parsons, Artemis' program manager. "NASA is stepping in and bringing all of our expertise and capabilities to bear. We are working hand-in-hand with them to meet our commitments to return our nation to the moon."

During Artemis III, engineers plan to run joint checks on air, power, propulsion, and communications, and study how the crew moves and works between vehicles. The flight will keep astronauts inside Orion longer than Artemis II, stress-test its life‑support systems more, try out new moon spacesuits, and use an upgraded heat shield on the capsule. 

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The overhaul responds to two key pressures: time and complexity. Isaacman has previously argued that the agency spent years and large sums on overly ambitious plans, allowing China, a major rival, to close the gap in deep space. China may land its first crewed mission on the moon before the United States does with the Artemis program. 

NASA now wants a simpler, repeatable setup for the mega moon rocket and spacecraft, with a more frequent launch tempo. The entire sequence of Artemis flights are intended as a step-by-step approach to make progress without undertaking too many uncertain risks. 

"There are many parts that need to come together for a space launch, and you need a launch pad, and for me that launch pad is my country, Italy," Parmitano said. "The rocket, figuratively and literally, is NASA. I'm grateful that NASA has allowed me to be part of this incredible group of people, of this crew, and for letting me fly."   

Under the new plan, Artemis IV becomes the moon-landing mission, sending the first humans to the lunar south pole in 2028. Artemis V follows as a second surface mission that leans more toward routine stays and early moon-base construction. 

To support that shift, NASA has pressed SpaceX and Blue Origin to simplify their early lander flights, choose less demanding lunar orbits for the first landings, and fly at least one uncrewed touchdown before any astronaut steps onto the surface.        

As a symbolic gesture, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman gave a baton to Artemis III Commander Bresnik at the announcement event. 

"While this may look like just a baton right now that's in my hand, it feels like this big, flaming Olympic torch that you — Reid, Christina, Victor, and Jeremy — lit, and the world was entranced by its flame," Bresnik said. "We, the Artemis III crew, are honored to be able to carry this torch forward, to be able to execute our mission, to make that flame burn brighter and pass it on."