Europe Joins Artemis III Mission

The upcoming Artemis III mission will feature a European astronaut aboard, specifically Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, a member of the European Space Agency (ESA).

On June 9 at 17:30 Paris time, NASA announced the crew for the next Artemis mission. Artemis III aims to conduct a rendezvous test in Earth orbit between the Orion spacecraft and the lunar lander. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman clarified that this test will involve two potential landers: SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon, both of which are designed for lunar landing.

The crew for Artemis III consists of the following four astronauts:

• Andre DOUGLAS (Mission Specialist) – NASA – This will be the astronaut's first flight, having been selected in 2021.
• Frank RUBIO (Mission Specialist) – NASA – This will be his second flight after a long-duration mission aboard the ISS from September 2022 to September 2023, totaling 371 days, which he joined via a Russian Soyuz.
• Luca PARMITANO (Pilot) – ESA – This mission marks his third flight, having been selected in 2009. Parmitano previously served aboard the ISS in 2013 and again in 2019, during which he held the position of commander.
• Randy BRESNIK (Commander) – NASA – This will be his third mission following his first in 2009 (Space Shuttle STS-129) and his second in 2017 (Russian Soyuz).

Backup and Launch

It is noteworthy that astronaut Bob Hines, who completed one mission in 2022, will serve as the backup for the entire crew and will participate in the training alongside the four astronauts.

Currently, the mission is scheduled for late 2027.

Regarding the Artemis program:

• Artemis II is set to head toward the Moon.
• Artemis II: rollout of the SLS to its launch pad.
• Is Artemis II ready for launch?
• SpaceX achieves remarkable recovery!
• ESM-3 en route to Florida.
• Artemis II: meet the crew!
• Mission complete for Artemis I.