NASA's Artemis III set for 2027 with all‑male crew, lunar landing dropped

NASA announced the crew for the Artemis III mission, scheduled for launch in late 2027. The four astronauts are Americans Andre Douglas, Randy Bresnik and Frank Rubio (the latter of Salvadoran descent), and Italian Luca Parmitano, making it the first NASA lunar‑related mission without a woman on board. The agency said the decision reflects merit‑based selection, noting that women comprise about 40 % of its astronaut corps.

Originally planned to land on the Moon, Artemis III will instead remain in low‑Earth orbit as a “laboratory” to test critical systems. The mission will launch aboard the Space Launch System and carry the Orion crew vehicle, which will dock with test landing modules built by Blue Origin and SpaceX. Objectives include validating software, propulsion, communications and docking procedures, as well as studying the lunar south‑pole ice prospect for future water‑in‑space conversion. Successful validation is intended to pave the way for a crewed lunar landing on Artemis IV in 2028.