Artemis III crew (left to right): Andre Douglas, Luca Parmitano, Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio – Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford

Another step towards returning to the moon.

Today (9), NASA announced the four astronauts for the Artemis III mission, the next step in the effort to return to the moon.

The mission is expected to undertake a series of challenging tests in Earth orbit next year, gearing up for Artemis IV, the crewed mission to the lunar South Pole to take place in 2028.

Introducing Artemis III.

Four astronauts. Three launches. Two dockings. One splashdown.

In 2027, the Artemis III mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit — the capability we need to return humanity to the Moon’s surface. pic.twitter.com/8uhMUxuuWX

— NASA (@NASA) June 9, 2026

NBC News reported:

“Randy Bresnik, Luca Parmitano, Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas are scheduled to launch into Earth orbit next year to test out at least one of the commercially developed lunar landers expected to carry NASA astronauts to the surface of the moon in 2028.

Bresnik will be the mission’s commander, with Parmitano, an Italian astronaut with the European Space Agency, serving as the pilot. Douglas and Rubio will be mission specialists, and NASA astronaut Bob Hines will train with the crew as a backup member.”

Introducing your Artemis III crew: NASA astronauts @AstroKomrade, @Astro_AndreD, and Frank Rubio and @ESA astronaut @Astro_Luca. pic.twitter.com/ljfxlOBw0U

— NASA (@NASA) June 9, 2026

“The Artemis III mission is expected to last about two weeks, Parsons said — roughly four days longer than the Artemis II mission around the moon earlier this year. It’s intended to be the Artemis program’s final testing mission. If it’s successful, NASA then plans to land a crew on the moon with the subsequent mission, Artemis IV.

‘Every aspect of Artemis III will give us insight into how to refine our plans for Artemis IV’, Parsons said. ‘This mission is deliberately designed to take calculated risks, so that future crews will be safer and ultimately successful when we put boots on the lunar surface’.”

INTRODUCING: ARTEMIS III

Commander, Randy Bresnik 🇺🇸
Pilot, Luca Parmitano 🇮🇹
Mission Specialist 1, Frank Rubio 🇺🇸
Mission Specialist 2, Andre Douglas 🇺🇸@NASASpaceflight pic.twitter.com/s6M8jCeN11

— Ryan Caton (@dpoddolphinpro) June 9, 2026

Space.com reported:

“You carry the fire of exploration from generations past, the confidence of this agency, and the support of this nation, and the dreams of millions who will be cheering you on, knowing that what others believe to be impossible happens to be what we do best here at NASA,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman during the proceedings.

[…] ‘We, the Artemis 3 crew, are honored to be able to carry this torch forward, to be able to execute our mission, to make that flame burn brighter and pass that flame on to the next crew’, Bresnik added.”

Endeavoring for not just one, but TWO Moon landings in 2028.

Coming weeks: Artemis II around the Moon
Mid-2027: Artemis III rendezvousing with one or both HLS providers, testing space suits in low Earth orbit
Early 2028: Artemis IV lunar landing
Late 2028: Artemis V lunar… pic.twitter.com/FiIp7jmReC

— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) March 3, 2026

Read more:

Artemis II Crew Return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center as Conquering Heroes – Expectations Surge for 2028 Mission To Send Astronauts Walking on the Moon

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