NEW YORK — On Tuesday, NASA introduced the team set to embark on the Artemis III mission, a crucial step in the agency’s ambitious plan to eventually land astronauts on the lunar surface.
This announcement follows Artemis II’s historic journey around the moon two months ago, a mission that broke the Apollo 13 distance record.
The Artemis III crew comprises NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and the European Space Agency’s Luca Parmitano. While they will not journey to the moon or touch down on its surface, their mission involves orbiting Earth to practice docking their Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers.
“We extend our best wishes to the Artemis III crew for a successful journey,” stated NASA administrator Jared Isaacman.
SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are competing to supply the lunar landers. The demonstration mission, expected to last two weeks, is slated for 2027. Recently, Blue Origin faced a challenge when a massive rocket exploded during an engine test at a Florida launch pad, shaking nearby areas and lighting up the sky with a fiery orange blaze.
NASA’s Jeremy Parsons said the setback is a learning opportunity and that the space agency is confident Blue Origin’s rocket will be ready in time.
NASA’s Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the moon’s surface for the first time since the 1970s. A recent revamp of the program announced by Isaacman aims to fast-track it similarly to the Apollo era, adding the upcoming spaceflight around Earth before eyeing a lunar landing in 2028.
“We are certainly humbled as a crew to be able to be your crew that executes this Artemis III mission in space,” said Bresnik, Artemis III commander.
Added Douglas, mission specialist: “My brain — it is going a mile a minute right now. But my heart, it is so warm. It is so full.”
In May, NASA awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to four companies, including Blue Origin, to build landers, rovers and drones for a future moon base. Isaacman said the goal of the moon base is to lay the foundation for a Mars expedition.