NASA has named the Artemis III crew for a 2027 Orion mission that will test rendezvous and docking in low-Earth orbit rather than attempt a lunar landing. The four prime crew members are Randy Bresnik as commander, Luca Parmitano of ESA as pilot, and NASA astronauts Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio as mission specialists, with Bob Hines designated as backup.
The flight will launch from Kennedy Space Center aboard Space Launch System and Orion, and will validate interfaces, software, propulsion, communications, hatch operations, and life-support procedures tied to commercial lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX. NASA has framed the mission as a proving run for later Artemis flights, with Artemis IV still slated as the first crewed mission to the lunar South Pole in 2028.
For the sector, the assignment locks in crew training and integration work now, while the landing architecture continues its operational build-out.