Meet NASA's Artemis III Crew
As of a few moments ago, NASA has officially announced the crew for the upcoming Artemis III mission. A low Earth orbit mission focused on testing the Orion capsule and lunar landers produced by industry partners Blue Origin and SpaceX, Artemis III will be a complex mission preparing us for a future lunar landing. This international crew comprises of three NASA astronauts and one European Space Agency astronaut.
Commander: Randy "Komrade" Bresnik
A two-time spaceflight veteran flying on both Shuttle and Soyuz, Bresnik first traveled to space aboard the STS-129 mission as a mission specialist. His second mission, beginning on Soyuz MS-05, included a nearly 140 day mission to the International Space Station. Serving as commander of the International Space Station for Expedition 53, Bresnik follows in the long line of astronauts who began their career as Navy test pilots as well as serving as a flight instructor.
Pilot: Luca Parmitano
An Italian astronaut and part of the European Space Agency astronaut corps, Parmitano has flown on two long-duration missions to the International Space Station. A veteran of six spacewalks, Parmitano has proven himself in difficult situations when the suit on his second spacewalk began filling with water, posing the danger of drowning in space. The first Italian to command the International Space Station, Parmitano is also notable for being the first person to DJ in space.
Mission Specialist: Frank Rubio
A record-breaking NASA astronaut, Rubio has flown the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut at 371 days. A doctor of medicine, Rubio's stay on the International Space Station was prolonged due to damage to the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft. This lengthy stay allowed for more than a year of study of the impact of space flight on the human body.
Mission Specialist: Andre Douglas
The only rookie astronaut on the crew, Douglas is an engineer with a doctorate of systems engineering. A member of the US Coast Guard, Douglas has also studied robotics, planetary defense, and space exploration with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. Serving as a backup crew member on Artemis II provided Douglas with the unique experience of training for the Artemis II mission alongside the primary crew. Artemis III will be his first space flight.
