NASA released the first official portrait of the Artemis III crew. From right are Andre Douglas, Luca Parmitano, Randy Bresnik and Frank Rubio. Photo courtesy of NASA
June 9 (UPI) -- NASA on Tuesday announced the four crew members for the Artemis III mission, which is planned for 2027 and will include many tests in Earth orbit.
The crew members are Randy Bresnik, commander; Luca Parmitano, pilot; Andre Douglas, mission specialist; and Frank Rubio, mission specialist. Bresnik, Douglas and Rubio are NASA astronauts; Parmitano is a European Space Agency astronaut. NASA astronaut Bob Hines is 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," said Jason Isaacman, NASA administrator. "Their achievements reignited global excitement for exploration, and now they pass the torch to the Artemis III team, Randy, Luca, Frank and Andre."
Parmitano is the first ESA astronaut on an Artemis mission. Artemis I was an uncrewed mission. Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen was a Canadian Space Agency astronaut.
