NASA has locked in the crew for Artemis III, the test flight set to put some of its riskiest Moon mission hardware through a full dress rehearsal in Earth orbit in 2027.

The agency said on Tuesday that Artemis III will launch four prime astronauts aboard Orion on the Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, then carry out rendezvous and docking tests with test versions of commercial lunar landers being developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX.

NASA named astronaut Randy Bresnik as commander, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano as pilot, and NASA astronauts Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio as mission specialists. NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as the backup crew member.

The crew will begin training immediately on Orion spacecraft systems and will also help with development and operations for the test versions of the Blue Origin and SpaceX landers, NASA said.

“Today we take another bold step in humanity’s return to the Moon, building on the extraordinary foundation laid by the Artemis II astronauts,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said.

“Their achievements reignited global excitement for exploration, and now they pass the torch to the Artemis III team, Randy, Luca, Frank, and Andre. Artemis III will demonstrate the power of American innovation and international partnership as we test complex rendezvous and docking operations and advance the technologies that will one day carry us deeper into the solar system. This mission will require the most awe-inspiring coordination of heavy-lift rocket launches in history, drawing on the talent and capability of teams across government and the spaceflight community. The Artemis III astronauts, alongside ESA and our international partners, and the tens of thousands of the best and brightest across the agency and industry, are ushering in a new Golden Age of exploration carrying forward the hopes and dreams of the next generation just as the Apollo astronauts did for so many of us.”

NASA said the mission is designed to support Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the lunar South Pole in 2028.

Under the current plan, Orion will launch first to low Earth orbit aboard SLS. After spacecraft checkouts, it will attempt rendezvous and docking with one, or both, of the American human landing systems in development.

NASA said Blue Origin’s lander pathfinder will launch first and remain in orbit for multiple weeks while waiting for the crew. Orion will then rendezvous with the Blue Origin test article and spend about two days docked for tests and technology demonstrations, including having the crew enter the lander.

After that, Orion will detach and wait for SpaceX’s Starship pathfinder. NASA said Starship will then launch, meet Orion in orbit, and remain docked for about a day for checkouts and testing.

Orion and its crew will then undock and return to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean for recovery by a U.S. Navy and NASA team. NASA expects the crew to stay in space for about two weeks, with the exact mission length to be determined in real time based on launch, rendezvous and docked operations.

NASA described Artemis III as a “highly choreographed mission” involving multiple launches and tests of integrated hardware between Orion and the landers, including interfaces, software, propulsion and communications.

The agency also said this is the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned to an Artemis mission.

“Artemis III will push the boundaries of spacecraft operations in orbit. Luca’s assignment as pilot reflects the depth of European expertise in human spaceflight and draws on his extensive operational experience in high-pressure situations,” ESA director general Josef Aschbacher said.

“At the same time, ESA’s European Service Module will once again provide the critical capabilities that power Orion, demonstrating Europe’s enduring role at the very heart of the Artemis program. The news out of Houston today is a powerful recognition of ESA’s role in enabling humanity’s return to the Moon – and a key advancement in our partnership with NASA. Europeans can take pride in being part of this exciting journey.”

NASA said engineers will connect Orion’s crew module and service module this summer and integrate the spacecraft’s docking system, which will fly for the first time. Heat shield testing is continuing, with individual blocks having undergone ultra-sonic inspections and installation onto the heat shield structure.

For the rocket, technicians are integrating the SLS engine section to the rest of the core stage ahead of installing four RS-25 engines this summer. NASA said all solid rocket booster segments are now at Kennedy, mobile launcher refurbishments are on track, and rocket stacking is scheduled to begin this summer.

NASA is also continuing design and fabrication of a spacer that will replace the upper stage on Artemis III.

Blue Origin is developing a crewed lunar version of Blue Moon, and SpaceX is developing a crewed lunar lander version of Starship. NASA said both companies are building test articles for Artemis III and that the agency is supporting both providers throughout design, development, testing and evaluation.

Artemis III will be Bresnik’s third mission to space. He previously flew on space shuttle Atlantis on STS-129 in 2009, then flew on Soyuz MS-05 to the International Space Station, where he served as a flight engineer on Expedition 52 and commander of Expedition 53. NASA said the California native was selected in 2004, graduated from The Citadel with a mathematics degree, and has logged more than 7,000 hours in 95 types of aircraft.

It will also be Parmitano’s third spaceflight. ESA selected him as an astronaut in 2009. He first flew to the space station in 2013 on a Soyuz mission and returned in 2019 on Soyuz MS-13, serving as commander of Expedition 61. ESA said he became the third European and the first Italian to command the station.

Rubio is set for his second trip to space after launching on Soyuz MS-22 in September 2022 and returning in September 2023. NASA said he spent 371 days in orbit, setting the record for the longest single-duration spaceflight by an American astronaut.

Douglas will make his first spaceflight. NASA selected him in 2021, and the agency said he previously served as a backup and closeout crew member for Artemis II.

Hines will train alongside the prime crew and would step in if one of them cannot fly. NASA said he previously served as pilot of the SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station.

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