NASA’s Artemis III mission is starting to take shape

NASA announced more details about the upcoming Artemis III mission, which unlike Artemis II will take place in low Earth orbit. The announcement included the identities of the crew who will conduct the mission.

The Artemis III crew will be Commander Randy Bresnik, who served as commander of the International Space Station, pilot Luca Parmitano from the European Space Agency, who has also commanded the ISS, mission specialist Frank Rubio, who served a record-setting 371-day tour on the ISS and mission specialist Andre Douglas, a former Coast Guard officer who served as a backup crew member for Artemis II. 

Artemis III, planned for no sooner than June 2027, will be a complicated dance in low Earth orbit involving three spacecraft. First, a Blue Origin New Glenn will launch a Blue Moon lander into low Earth orbit. A Blue Origin representative expressed confidence that, despite the recent catastrophe that destroyed a New Glenn and heavily damaged a launch pad, the vehicle will be ready.

Second, an Orion will launch into low Earth orbit and dock with the Blue Moon lander for two days before undocking. Next, a SpaceX Starship will launch and then dock with the Orion. They will remain docked for a day before the Orion separates and returns to Earth.

The Artemis III crew possesses a mix of training and experience that should........

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