NASA names Artemis III astronauts—here's all you need to know about them

Just last April, the world watched in awe as Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen became the first humans to travel to the vicinity of the Moon for the first time in over half a century. Now, it's time for the next chapter—one that will be written by the recently announced Artemis III crew next year. While they won't be going anywhere near the Moon, they will be responsible for conducting critical rendezvous and docking operations between the Orion spacecraft and commercial lunar landers in Earth orbit, thereby setting the stage for returning mankind to the surface of the Moon. But who are these astronauts? What makes them the right fit for such a crucial mission? Let's find out.

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, Mission Specialist

Selected by NASA in the 2021 astronaut candidate class, Andre Douglas will be strapping in for his first flight to space as a Mission Specialist for Artemis III. That being said, the Virginia native is no stranger to NASA's lunar exploration program, having served as a backup and closeout crew member for the Artemis II mission. As part of the U.S. Coast Guard, Douglas conducted search and rescue, drug interdiction operations, and maritime salvage. He has a background in mechanical engineering, having graduated with a bachelor's degree in the same from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and has a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University, besides four postgraduate degrees. He has also spent time at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where he helped design and test multidomain autonomous vehicles, space exploration systems, and undersea warfare platforms.

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, Mission Specialist

Unlike his fellow Mission Specialist, Frank Rubio is not a spaceflight debutant, having been launched to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft back on September 21, 2022. According to NASA, the 2017 astronaut class member broke the record for the longest single-duration spaceflight by an American with 371 days aboard the orbital laboratory before he returned to Earth on September 27, 2023. The Florida native graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1998 before going on to earn a doctor of medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2010. He also has over 28 years of experience as a member of the U.S. Army, having served as an aviator, a physician, and an astronaut. 

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, Pilot

While Artemis III will be Luca Parmitano's third trip to space, his name has been associated with a few historic firsts. He served as a flight engineer for the Italian Space Agency's (ASI) first long-duration mission to the International Space Station after being launched to the orbital outpost aboard a Soyuz spacecraft in 2013. Then on his second trip to the ISS in 2019, he became the third European and the first Italian to serve as the commander of the station. Having graduated from the Italian Air Force Academy, Parmitano has logged over 2,000 flight hours across 40 kinds of aircraft. He has a bachelor's degree in political sciences from the University of Naples Federico II and a master's degree in experimental flight test engineering from the Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace in Toulouse, France.

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, Commander

With his spaceflight experience going back to the space shuttle days, retired U.S. Marine colonel Randy Bresnik will be making his third trip to space. A fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Bresnik has over 7,000 flight hours across 95 different types of spacecraft under his belt. The California native and 2004 astronaut candidate class select has a degree in mathematics from The Citadel and has been serving as assistant to the chief of the Astronaut Office for exploration. In this role, he has been overseeing the development and testing of the spacecraft and systems that will feature in the Artemis missions.

As he received the ceremonial baton from Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman during the Artemis III crew announcement event, Bresnik said, "While this may look like just a baton, now it's in my hand. It feels like this big flaming, you know, Olympic torch that you, Reid, Christina, Victor, Jeremy lit." "We, the Artemis III crew, are honored to be able to carry this torch forward, to be able to execute our mission, to make that flame burn brighter and pass it on," he added. Indeed, the flame must burn brighter by the time their mission comes to its end, as the future of the program and NASA's Moon Base ambitions depend on it.

More on Starlust

Artemis III update: NASA ships final solid rocket booster segments for SLS to Kennedy Space Center

Could a meteor storm delay NASA’s Artemis IV Moon landing? Here’s what we know