HOUSTON – The astronauts who will launch into space aboard the Artemis III mission next year were just announced by NASA.
The crew was revealed during an event at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman introduced the astronauts and outlined the mission’s role in the agency’s broader Artemis program.
NASA officials described Artemis III as one of the most complex human spaceflight missions ever attempted.
The mission will focus on testing spacecraft operations in Earth orbit, including rendezvous and docking procedures involving multiple vehicles from NASA and its commercial partners.
“We are returning to the moon, a grand adventure back to the lunar surface to build a moon base and to do so for all of its scientific, its economic potential, and to master the skills for where we will inevitably go next,” Isaacman said.
The mission is targeted to launch in 2027.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced the crew alongside other NASA leaders and representatives from the European Space Agency.
This is the crew of Artemis III
- Randolph “Randy” Bresnik – Commander
- Luca Parmitano – Pilot
- Francisco “Frank” Rubio – Mission Specialist
- Andre Douglas – Mission Specialist
- Robert “Bob” Hines – Backup crew member
Meet the crew of Artemis III
Randolph “Randy” Bresnik – Commander
Commander Randolph “Randy” Bresnik is a veteran NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Marine colonel.
Bresnik is making his third trip to space after missions aboard the space shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station.
Since 2018, he has helped oversee development and testing of systems for NASA’s Artemis program and has logged more than 7,000 flight hours in 95 aircraft types.
During Tuesday’s event, Bresnik described Artemis III as a critical link between the recently completed Artemis II mission and future exploration efforts.
“Every single mission we will do after this will be more challenging and more complex,” Bresnik said.
Luca Parmitano – Pilot
Pilot Luca Parmitano, an astronaut with the European Space Agency, is a two-time spaceflier and the first European assigned to an Artemis mission.
A colonel in the Italian Air Force, he became the first Italian and only the third European to command the International Space Station during Expedition 61.
Francisco “Frank” Rubio – Mission Specialist
Mission Specialist Francisco “Frank” Rubio is a NASA astronaut, physician and U.S. Army officer making his second spaceflight.
He previously set the record for the longest single-duration mission by an American astronaut, spending 371 consecutive days aboard the International Space Station from 2022 to 2023.
Andre Douglas – Mission Specialist
Mission Specialist Andre Douglas is making his first trip to space after being selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021.
A former U.S. Coast Guard officer and systems engineer, he previously served as a backup and closeout crew member for the Artemis II mission and has worked on advanced autonomous vehicles and space exploration systems.
Robert “Bob” Hines – Backup Crew Member
Backup crew member Bob Hines is a NASA astronaut and U.S. Air Force colonel who previously served as pilot of NASA’s Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station.
He will train alongside the prime Artemis III crew and could be called upon if a primary crew member becomes unavailable.
What is Artemis III?
Artemis III is targeted to launch in 2027 aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The mission will carry astronauts inside the Orion spacecraft and focus on testing rendezvous and docking operations with commercial spacecraft developed by NASA’s industry partners.
NASA says the mission is designed to demonstrate capabilities needed to safely transport astronauts between Orion and future lunar landing vehicles.
The test flight will take place in low Earth orbit rather than traveling to the moon.
According to NASA, Artemis III will continue work begun during Artemis II by testing systems and procedures needed for future lunar missions.
The mission will use NASA’s Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket while also incorporating vehicles being developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX.
How Artemis III fits into NASA’s moon program
The Artemis program is NASA’s long-term effort to establish a sustained human presence on and around the moon while developing technologies needed for future missions to Mars.
NASA completed Artemis I in November 2022, sending an uncrewed Orion spacecraft around the moon and back to Earth.
NASA also completed the Artemis II crewed test flight in April 2026, a mission the agency says helped pave the way for future Artemis missions.
Earlier this year, NASA announced changes to the Artemis program that added the Artemis III demonstration mission and increased the planned cadence of future flights.
According to NASA’s current plan, Artemis IV is expected to carry astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028, followed by Artemis V later that year as NASA begins building infrastructure for a long-term lunar presence.
Houston’s role in the mission
Tuesday’s announcement took place at Johnson Space Center, the longtime hub of America’s human spaceflight program.
The Houston facility is home to NASA’s astronaut corps and serves as the center for human spaceflight operations and mission control activities.
When asked by KPRC 2 why Houstonians should be excited about future lunar exploration efforts, Isaacman pointed to Houston’s central role in the nation’s space program and future moon operations.
“I think it’s an exciting time for industry, but really everybody that lives in the Houston area ... this is where a lot of the activity is going to happen in the years ahead,” Isaacman said.
Isaacman said future lunar operations and planned moon base activities would likely be managed from Houston.
Johnson Space Center has been home to human spaceflight operations and NASA’s Mission Control since the 1960s.