NASA Names Artemis III Crew, Mission Switched to Low‑Earth Orbit Test

NASA announced the team that will fly aboard the Orion capsule for Artemis III, scheduled for 2027. The mission, once slated to land astronauts on the Moon’s south pole, now will remain in low‑Earth orbit.

The crew, led by commander Randy Bresnik and pilot Luca Parmitano, includes mission specialists Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio, and backup pilot Bob Heintz. They will dock the capsule with prototype lunar landers and perform docking maneuvers without leaving Earth orbit.

The change follows delays to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship, which requires mid‑orbit refuelling and cannot reach the Moon unaided. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket also suffered a test‑fire explosion, postponing launch capabilities that support future Artemis landers.

NASA’s Administrator Jared Isaacman warned that the mission demands unprecedented coordination of heavy‑lift launches across government and commercial partners. The agency remains committed to recovering from the latest setback and maintaining the projected 2027 launch window.

Experts view the 2027 launch as optimistic, but it keeps the possibility of a lunar landing by 2028, as mandated by new U.S. policy, within reach.