NASA unveils Artemis III crew for next phase of lunar program

NASA has officially named the Artemis III crew, marking a major milestone in the agency’s push to return astronauts to the lunar surface.

The crew includes NASA’s veteran flier and test pilot Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and first-time space flier Andre Douglas. Joining them will be the European Space Agency’s Luca Parmitano of Italy.

This mission won’t fly to the moon or land on the surface.

Artemis III will orbit Earth while practicing docking their Orion capsule with lunar landers.

NASA says the demo is slated to happen in 2027.

The Artemis III mission is the next part of the overall program to land astronauts on the moon for the first time since the 1970s.

READ MORE: Artemis II astronauts stick the landing: Crew returns safely to Earth