NASA Names Artemis III Crew for Lunar Lander Test in Orbit
NASA has revealed the four-person crew for Artemis III, a mission now focused on testing lunar landers in low Earth orbit, not the Moon. Commander Randy Bresnik will lead astronauts Luca Parmitano, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas in testing Blue Origin and SpaceX lander technologies, a shift from previous lunar landing plans.
Key points
- NASA has selected a crew of four astronauts for the Artemis III mission: Commander Randy Bresnik, Luca Parmitano, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas.
- The Artemis III mission's objective has been changed from a lunar landing to testing human lunar lander technology in low Earth orbit.
- The mission will test landers developed by commercial partners Blue Origin and SpaceX.
- Astronauts will rendezvous with Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander, dock, and perform system checks, potentially donning lunar suits.
- Bob Hines has been named as a backup crew member for the mission.
NASA has announced the crew for the upcoming Artemis III mission, featuring Commander Randy Bresnik, European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano, and NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas. Bob Hines will serve as the backup.
This iteration of Artemis III diverges significantly from earlier plans. Instead of a lunar landing, the mission will focus on testing the human lander technologies developed by commercial partners Blue Origin and SpaceX in low Earth orbit. This approach mirrors the Apollo 9 mission's strategy of testing lunar module capabilities before a crewed lunar voyage. The change also appears to address potential delays in the readiness of NASA's Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket compared to the landers.
Mission objectives include rendezvous with Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander, docking procedures, and internal checks. Astronauts may also conduct a trial run of donning lunar spacesuits within the docked lander. These activities are expected to last approximately two days. NASA has indicated the mission aims to test "one or both" commercial landers, presenting a profile that incorporates both Blue Origin and SpaceX.
Sources
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