NASA announced Tuesday the selection of four astronauts who will crew the upcoming Artemis III mission, featuring three Americans and one Italian astronaut for a complex orbital demonstration scheduled for next year.
The space agency chose U.S. astronauts Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, and Randy Bresnik, along with Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano from the European Space Agency, for the Artemis III mission set to launch in 2027, though no specific launch date has been determined.
This four-person mission will conduct the first space trials of lunar landing vehicles developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, executing a complex docking demonstration with three spacecraft in Earth’s orbit.
MISSION COMMANDER RANDY BRESNIK
At 58 years old, Bresnik became part of NASA’s astronaut program in 2004. His space experience includes three missions totaling approximately 150 days beyond Earth’s atmosphere, with 32 hours conducting spacewalks.
A former U.S. Marine Corps colonel and test pilot, Bresnik brings more than 7,000 flight hours across 95 different types of aircraft to his role.
PILOT LUCA PARMITANO
The 49-year-old Italian astronaut Parmitano became part of the European Space Agency’s astronaut program in 2009 and has completed two space missions. He represents the first European Space Agency astronaut assigned to an Artemis mission and becomes the second non-American crew member, following Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen who participated in Artemis II.
Parmitano’s participation represents Italy’s continued collaboration in NASA’s Artemis program, as the space agency’s international partners seek expanded involvement.
MISSION SPECIALIST FRANK RUBIO
The 50-year-old Rubio established a new record for the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut, spending 371 days in space during his inaugural mission.
Rubio achieved this milestone in 2023 when his planned six-month stay aboard the International Space Station extended to nearly a year after the Russian vehicle that transported him developed a leak while attached to the station. Following months of waiting for Russia to deliver a replacement spacecraft, he returned to Earth in early 2023.
Beyond his astronaut duties, Rubio serves as a certified family physician and flight surgeon.
MISSION SPECIALIST ANDRE DOUGLAS
The upcoming Artemis III mission will mark Douglas’s inaugural space journey. The 40-year-old Miami native joined NASA’s astronaut program in 2021.
Douglas brings extensive academic credentials, including multiple master’s degrees in engineering fields and a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University.
Prior to his NASA career, Douglas worked with the U.S. Coast Guard as a naval architect and contributed to various NASA initiatives while serving as a professional staff member at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.
