2026 was a big year for NASA’s Artemis program with the successful completion of the crewed Orion spacecraft’s lunar flyby. And with two successful missions in the bag, NASA is rocketing forward with the introduction of the Artemis III crew in a recent press conference.

World, meet the crew taking one for the team: commander Randy Bresnik (NASA), pilot Luca Parmitano (European Space Agency), mission specialist Andre Douglas (NASA) and mission specialist Frank Rubio (NASA).

Artemis III, scheduled for late 2027, will evaluate life support and control systems, mission software and determine required vital systems for the next missions. The testing will occur aboard the Orion spacecraft in low-Earth orbit.

The five-mission program’s endgame is to set up lunar lodgings for long-term stays on the moon with the opportunity for further deep space exploration. While Artemis III’s crew will not visit the moon, their mission is critical for the operations and safety for subsequent crews.

The work of the Artemis III crew will allow for 2028’s Artemis IV mission to go where no one has gone before — the lunar south pole.

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