Science
Artemis III Crew Named: Four Astronauts Set to Orbit the Moon in 2027
Four astronauts now have their names on one of the most ambitious space missions since the Apollo era — NASA's Artemis III will take them closer to the Moon than any humans have been in over 50 years.
50+ yearsSince humans last travelled to the Moon (Apollo 17, 1972)
The facts
- 1NASA announced the Artemis III crew on June 9, 2026: astronauts Andre Douglas, Randy Bresnik, and Frank Rubio from NASA, plus Luca Parmitano from ESA (the European Space Agency, which represents 22 countries).
- 2Artemis III, planned for 2027, will orbit the Moon and test crucial spacecraft systems — but the crew will not land on the lunar surface; that step is planned for Artemis IV in 2028.
- 3The mission will use the Orion capsule and the Space Launch System rocket, which together stand taller than a 30-storey building and generate more thrust than any rocket in history.
- 4Artemis III is designed to prove that Orion and the Gateway lunar outpost components can work reliably before astronauts attempt an actual Moon landing — similar to doing a trial run before the final exam.
- 5ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano's inclusion makes Artemis III an international mission; if Artemis IV lands as planned, it would be the first human Moon landing since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
Why it matters
Artemis III is a vital rehearsal: a failed system in lunar orbit is far harder to fix than one caught in testing. For young readers, it shows that the biggest goals in science are built step by step — and that space exploration is now a team effort across continents, not a race between two countries.
Sources
- NASA
- ESA (European Space Agency)
