Four astronauts are slated to fly into low Earth orbit to test lunar landing modules for future missions to the Moon, as unveiled by NASA on Tuesday.
The all-male crew includes Commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano, and mission specialists Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio, who were selected for the Artemis III mission by NASA. Astronaut Bob Hines was also named as a backup crew member.
“Today we take another bold step in humanity's return to the Moon, building on the extraordinary foundation laid by the Artemis II astronauts," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a press release. "Their achievements reignited global excitement for exploration, and now they pass the torch to the Artemis III team, Randy, Luca, Frank, and Andre. Artemis III will demonstrate the power of American innovation and international partnership as we test complex rendezvous and docking operations and advance the technologies that will one day carry us deeper into the solar system.”
The announcement comes on the heels of the success of the Artemis II mission, which brought four astronauts back to lunar territory for the first time in more than 50 years. Among them were Christina Koch, the first woman to venture to the moon, and Victor Glover, the first Black man to do so.
"I don't think anyone should be reading into this," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, asked by aHouston Public Mediareporter. "Our last astronaut candidate class was greater than 50% female. We'll assemble the best astronauts to undertake and complete the objectives set up for the following mission."
Koch, Glover, and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman each attended the announcement on Tuesday to pass along words of advice to the new crew. Wiseman passed on a literal, physical baton he often spoke about, saying he would give it to the next crew.
The four crew members of Artemis III are a racially diverse group. Douglas is Black; Rubio is Hispanic; Parmitano is an Italian astronaut from the European Space Agency; and Bresnik is white.
The mission, expected to launch in 2027 and last two weeks, will involve docking with each of the lunar landers, a complicated maneuver that will be essential to future missions that land on the moon. It will also test life support systems that can only be tested in space.
The Artemis III mission revolves around testing lunar landing systems that will be used in future missions to properly land on the moon's surface. The lunar landers for Artemis III are from SpaceX and Blue Origin, both of which were contracted to aid in the Artemis program.
Blue Origin's Mark 2 lunar lander is being constructed for the mission, with John Couluris from Blue Origin assuring it will be ready in time for Artemis III. Addressing the recent explosion of a Blue Origin rocket on the launch pad, Couluris said cleanup and an investigation are moving forward. A Mark 1 lander is slated to be launched to the moon as soon as this fall, but it will not be used in Artemis III.
SpaceX also assured its Starship lunar lander will be ready in time for the Artemis III mission.
In an interview withHouston Public Media, backup crew member Bob Hines said the crew was informed of their selection all at once, roughly ten days prior to the announcement.
"Usually, it's a phone call and you get a very individual type of assignment," "This was a meeting that was put on our calendar. And we show up, and we're in the room, and they say, ‘Hey, look around. This is your Artemis III crew.'"
Bresnik was first selected as an astronaut in 2004. A retired Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, he logged more than 7,000 hours in different aircraft, as well as 3,600 hours in spacecraft. His work with NASA stretches back to the Space Shuttle program, with flights to the International Space Station and spacewalks.
"We'd also like to thank NASA leadership and [European Space Agency] leadership for the opportunity to represent all of humanity from this spaceship Earth that we will carry forward, as we execute this Artemis mission," commander Bresnik said on Tuesday.
Parmitano is an Italian and a member of the European Space Agency (ESA). He was a pilot for the Air Force before being selected as an ESA astronaut in 2009. He's made multiple missions to the ISS, including six spacewalks and multiple docking maneuvers.
"There are many parts that need to come together for a space launch," he said. "You need a launch pad. And for me, that launch pad is my country, Italy. Its education system, the Italian Air Force that gave me the professional tools to bring me here today. The Italian Space Agency that gave me the first flight to put those skills to proof."
Douglas was selected for NASA's astronaut program in 2021, after serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. He was a backup crew member for Artemis II and trained alongside its crew members. Artemis III will be his first spaceflight.
"This mission is going to be fantastic," Douglas said. "What an excellent crew, I'm very proud to serve with these gentlemen."
Rubio joined the astronaut program in 2017, after serving in the U.S. Army as an aviator and physician. He participated in a mission to the International Space Station, breaking the record for longest single duration spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut at 371 days. During that time, NASA says, Rubio traveled 157,412,306 statute miles and conducted three spacewalks.
"To the NASA team, NASA community, our leadership, our engineers, our flight controllers, our flight directors: you guys are the ones that make this happen," Rubio said.
The crew will begin their training almost immediately, as soon as Wednesday morning, according to Hines.
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