WATCH: NASA announces Artemis III test flight astronauts

By — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Associated Press Adithi Ramakrishnan, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/watch-nasa-announces-artemis-iii-test-flight-astronauts Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: NASA announces Artemis III test flight astronauts Science Jun 9, 2026 2:51 PM EDT NEW YORK (AP) — NASA on Tuesday revealed the crew for its Artemis III mission, the next step in the space agency's plan to eventually land astronauts on the moon. Watch the NASA event in the video player above. The announcement came two months after Artemis II's record-breaking trip around the moon that surpassed the distance record of Apollo 13. READ MORE: NASA sets its sights on Artemis III following astronauts' historic moon flyby NASA's Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas and the European Space Agency's Luca Parmitano won't fly to the moon or land on the surface. Instead, they'll orbit Earth while practicing docking their Orion capsule with two lunar landers. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. "To the Artemis III crew, we wish you Godspeed on the journey ahead," said NASA administrator Jared Isaacman. Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin are racing to deliver the lunar landers. The two-week demo is targeted for 2027. Blue Origin suffered a recent setback when its massive rocket exploded during an engine-firing test on the launch pad in Florida, shaking nearby homes and illuminating the sky with an orange fireball. NASA's Jeremy Parsons said the setback is a learning opportunity and that the space agency is confident Blue Origin's rocket will be ready in time. WATCH: Artemis II astronauts discuss historic moon mission after returning to Earth NASA's Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the moon's surface for the first time since the 1970s. A recent revamp of the program announced by Isaacman aims to fast-track it similarly to the Apollo era, adding the upcoming spaceflight around Earth before eyeing a lunar landing in 2028. "We are certainly humbled as a crew to be able to be your crew that executes this Artemis III mission in space," said Bresnik, Artemis III commander. Added Douglas, mission specialist: "My brain — it is going a mile a minute right now. But my heart, it is so warm. It is so full." In May, NASA awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to four companies, including Blue Origin, to build landers, rovers and drones for a future moon base. Isaacman said the goal of the moon base is to lay the foundation for a Mars expedition. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now