NASA announces Artemis III crew for 2028 Moon landing

NASA revealed the four astronauts selected for the Artemis III mission, slated for a lunar landing by the end of 2028. The crew consists of commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and mission specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas. Backup astronaut Bob Hines will train alongside the team.

Artemis III is planned as a two‑week mission that will return humans to the Moon’s surface for the first time in more than five decades. The flight follows the successful Orion‑led Artemis II orbital test, which completed a 10‑day trajectory around the Moon in April. NASA’s program manager Jeremy Parsons described Artemis III as the final test before moving to Artemis IV, which aims to establish regular crewed landings and a permanent lunar presence, backed by a roughly $20 billion investment in surface infrastructure.

The announcement underscores NASA’s collaboration with international partners, notably the involvement of ESA astronaut Parmitano, and marks a key step toward sustained human activity on the Moon.