Who will fly Artemis III? NASA to unveil crew at Johnson Space Center

HOUSTON – NASA will reveal the astronauts assigned to its Artemis III mission Tuesday during a major announcement at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, giving the public its first look at the crew selected for a pivotal step in the agency’s return-to-the-Moon program.

NASA officials are scheduled to provide an update on Artemis III and announce the mission’s crew during an event beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The announcement comes as NASA works toward a revised Artemis architecture that includes a 2027 mission designed to test critical technologies needed before a future Artemis mission returns astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years.

What is Artemis III?

Artemis III is scheduled to launch in mid-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 SpaceX, Blue Origin or both companies.

NASA says the mission is designed to demonstrate capabilities needed to safely transport astronauts between Orion and future lunar landing vehicles.

“The Artemis III mission will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon,” NASA said in mission information released ahead of Tuesday’s announcement.

The test flight will take place in low Earth orbit rather than traveling to the Moon.

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.

Why the mission is different

Unlike previous Artemis missions, Artemis III is focused on testing transportation systems and spacecraft operations before astronauts attempt a lunar landing.

NASA says the mission will help validate the commercial landers that eventually will carry astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface and back.

The agency’s revised architecture is intended to reduce risk before launching future crews on increasingly complex lunar missions.

“NASA added a new demonstration mission in low Earth orbit in mid-2027 to test one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, respectively,” the agency said in a March update outlining the new plan.

NASA officials have said the approach is designed to support a goal of eventually conducting one lunar mission per year.

Houston’s role in the mission

Tuesday’s announcement will take 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.

Johnson Space Center has been home to space flight and NASA’s Mission Control Center since the 1960s.

Each of the Artemis missions is operated from Johnson Space Center.

What’s next?

Following Tuesday’s crew announcement, NASA is expected to provide additional details about Artemis III mission planning, training and spacecraft development as the agency works toward its 2027 launch target.

NASA officials have described Artemis missions as a foundation for future exploration beyond the Moon.

“As part of the Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars,” the agency said.