TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Moving closer to another Moon expedition, NASA has officially announced the astronauts chosen for the Artemis III mission.
Artemis III is currently targeted to launch before the end of 2027, marking the next major milestone in America's return to lunar exploration. The mission follows decades after the United States made history by orchestrating the world's first crewed Moon landing in 1969.
This project also builds on the achievements of Artemis II, which successfully carried astronauts beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in more than 50 years last April.
Who Are the Artemis III Crew Members?
Artemis III will be conducted through a partnership between NASA and private aerospace companies. The mission is expected to involve three separate launches, with one rocket sending four astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft into Earth orbit, while two additional launches carrying lunar landers developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX, Al Jazeera reported.
The Artemis III crew comprises four astronauts representing NASA and the European Space Agency: Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, Luca Parmitano, and Randy Bresnik.
Although no women were selected for Artemis III, the four-member crew brings together astronauts with diverse professional backgrounds and extensive experience in aviation, engineering, medicine, and spaceflight.
Among them is mission specialist Andre Douglas, a 40-year-old engineer from Florida who will be making his first journey to space. Previously named as a backup astronaut for Artemis II, Douglas is set to join one of a relatively small number of African Americans to travel beyond Earth.
Joining him as mission specialist is Frank Rubio, a physician and former U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot. The 50-year-old astronaut currently holds the record for the longest single space mission by an American, having spent 371 consecutive days in orbit.
Leading the mission as commander is Randy Bresnik, the most experienced and oldest member of the crew at 58. A former Marine and Navy test pilot, Bresnik is the only Artemis III astronaut to have flown aboard a Space Shuttle, having participated in a mission before the program was retired.
Completing the crew is 49-year-old Luca Parmitano, who will serve as the mission's pilot. Representing the European Space Agency, Parmitano is the only non-American astronaut on Artemis III.
What Is the Goal for Artemis III?
Artemis III is intended to help NASA prepare for future crewed lunar landings by testing critical technologies and operational procedures.
The mission represents the next phase of the Artemis program as the agency works toward returning human boots to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century.
The program has already achieved a major milestone with Artemis II, which carried humans beyond Earth orbit for the first time since 1972. Building on that success, Artemis III will focus on demonstrating key capabilities needed for a lunar landing, including docking operations with one or more commercial lunar landers while in low Earth orbit, as per USA Today.
Read: NASA Picks First European Astronaut for Artemis Mission
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