NASA Names Artemis III Crew, Details 2027 Earth Orbit Test Mission
NASA has unveiled new details and the crew for its Artemis III mission, slated for 2027. The four prime crew members include NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas, and Frank Rubio, alongside European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano, with Bob Hines named as backup. This mission will conduct a series of challenging tests in Earth orbit, essential for the subsequent Artemis IV mission and future lunar exploration.
NASA has announced the prime crew members and a backup for its Artemis III mission, a complex human spaceflight endeavor scheduled for 2027. The agency also provided additional details regarding the test flight.
The mission aims to undertake a series of challenging tests within Earth orbit, which are deemed essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the lunar South Pole in 2028.
During Artemis III, the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket will launch the Orion spacecraft and its crew from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida into low Earth orbit. Following system checkouts of Orion, the spacecraft will demonstrate rendezvous and docking capabilities for the first time with test versions of American commercial human landing systems currently under development by Blue Origin and SpaceX.
This mission involves a multi-launch campaign of powerful rockets and will test integrated hardware between Orion and the landers, including system interfaces, software, propulsion, and communications.
The assigned crew members are: NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik as commander, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano as pilot, NASA astronaut Andre Douglas as mission specialist, and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio as mission specialist. NASA astronaut Bob Hines has been named as a backup crew member.
The crew will immediately begin training on Orion spacecraft systems and will assist in the development and operations of the test versions of the Blue Origin and SpaceX landers. This marks the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned to an Artemis mission, with the European Service Module once again providing critical capabilities for Orion.
Mission preparations are advancing, with engineers scheduled to connect the Orion crew module and service module this summer. They will also integrate the spacecraft’s docking system, which will make its inaugural flight. Heat shield testing is also ongoing, including ultra-sonic inspections and installation of individual blocks onto the heat shield structure.
(Source: NASA Breaking News)
