NASA Names Four Astronauts for Artemis III Test Mission in 2027
10 verified5 unconfirmed
NASA announced on June 9, 2026, the four prime crew members for the Artemis III mission, a critical test flight planned for 2027 in low Earth orbit. The mission will demonstrate the Orion spacecraft’s ability to rendezvous and dock with test versions of commercial lunar landers being developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX. The crew includes NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik as commander, Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio as mission specialists, and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano as pilot. NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as a backup crew member. The mission sequence will begin with an uncrewed launch of Blue Origin’s lander, followed by the crewed Orion launch, then SpaceX’s Starship, with Orion docking to each for about two days and one day respectively. The crew is expected to spend approximately two weeks in space, ending with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Artemis III builds on the successful Artemis II flight completed in April 2026 and is a precursor to the first crewed mission to the lunar South Pole, Artemis IV, planned for 2028. This assignment marks the first time an ESA astronaut has been part of an Artemis mission.
What’s verified
NASA announced the Artemis III crew on June 9, 2026.
The crew consists of NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik (commander), Andre Douglas (mission specialist), Frank Rubio (mission specialist), and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano (pilot).
NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as a backup crew member.
The Artemis III mission is planned for 2027 and will take place in low Earth orbit.
The mission will test the Orion spacecraft’s rendezvous and docking capabilities with test versions of lunar landers being developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX.
The mission sequence includes an uncrewed launch of Blue Origin’s lander first, followed by the crewed Orion launch, then SpaceX’s Starship, with Orion docking to each for about two days and one day respectively.
The crew is expected to spend about two weeks in space, concluding with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Artemis III is a precursor to Artemis IV, the first crewed mission to the lunar South Pole, planned for 2028.
This is the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned to an Artemis mission.
Artemis II completed its flight in April 2026.
Not yet confirmed
A single source reported that Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a prelaunch test at Cape Canaveral in May 2026, causing significant facility damage and introducing uncertainty to the Artemis III timeline.
The same source reported that SpaceX has completed its 12th test flight of Starship but has not yet launched Starship into orbit.
That source also stated that Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander can remain in orbit for up to 90 days, while other sources described its endurance as “multiple weeks.”
The same source noted that Luca Parmitano experienced a dangerous spacewalk in which his helmet filled with water.
Specific biographical details of crew members (e.g., flight hours, degrees, military service) appear in two sources but were not included in the third.
Key figures
Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut, Artemis III commander
Luca Parmitano, ESA astronaut, Artemis III pilot
Andre Douglas, NASA astronaut, Artemis III mission specialist
Frank Rubio, NASA astronaut, Artemis III mission specialist
Bob Hines, NASA astronaut, backup crew member
Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator
Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General
Jeremy Parsons, NASA (quoted in one source)
Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander
