NASA has announced the four astronauts who will join the Artemis III mission, a key step in the agency’s journey back to the moon. The crew includes three NASA astronauts – Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, and Randy Bresnik – as well as Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano with the European Space Agency.

Mission Objectives

The primary goal of the Artemis III mission is to test the technologies necessary for a lunar landing. The crew will launch from Florida aboard the Orion spacecraft and spend two weeks in low-Earth orbit, where they will test the docking of the Orion spacecraft with a lunar lander.

The mission will also test the life support systems and other features of the lunar lander. The crew will then return to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

Crew Profiles

Randy Bresnik, 58, will serve as commander of the Artemis III flight. He has flown on NASA’s space shuttle and Russia’s Soyuz capsule and has played a key role in the Artemis program.

Andre Douglas, 40, will be making his first trip to space as a mission specialist. He has trained as a backup for the Artemis II mission and has experience learning how to fly the Orion spacecraft.

Frank Rubio, 50, is a mission specialist who has flown on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and has experience as a military parachute jumpmaster and Army aviator.

Luca Parmitano, an Italian astronaut with the European Space Agency, will serve as pilot for the mission. He has flown to space twice and has experience as a test pilot and Colonel in the Italian Air Force.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.