SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — NASA has announced the four astronauts who will fly on the Artemis III mission, a critical test flight that will help pave the way for future lunar landings and long-term exploration of the Moon.
Scheduled for launch in 2027, Artemis III will send astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft using the agency’s powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will focus on testing rendezvous and docking capabilities with lunar landers being developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX.
The mission has strong ties to Huntsville. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is helping oversee development of the lunar lander systems that will be tested during the flight.
NASA announced the Artemis III crew as:
• Randy Bresnik, commander
• Luca Parmitano, pilot
• Andre Douglas, mission specialist
• Frank Rubio, mission specialist
NASA astronaut Bob Hines was also named as a backup crew member.
Rubio received special recognition from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he previously participated in the university’s Distinguished Lecture Series.
According to NASA, Artemis III will demonstrate complex docking operations between Orion and lunar landers while testing communications, software, propulsion systems, and other technologies needed for future deep-space exploration. The mission is considered a major steppingstone toward Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the Moon’s South Pole, currently targeted for 2028.
“Today we take another bold step in humanity’s return to the Moon,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Artemis III will demonstrate the power of American innovation and international partnership.”
Preparations for the mission continue across the country. Engineers are assembling Orion spacecraft components, testing its heat shield, and preparing the SLS rocket for launch. Meanwhile, Blue Origin is developing its Blue Moon lunar lander, while SpaceX continues work on a lunar version of Starship.
As NASA pushes forward with its Artemis program, Huntsville remains at the center of efforts to return astronauts to the Moon and prepare for future missions deeper into the solar system.