NASA has selected veteran astronaut Randy Bresnik, a native of Santa Monica, California, to command the Artemis III mission, a critical test flight scheduled for 2027. The announcement was made Tuesday at the Johnson Space Center in Houston by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
Bresnik, a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel and three-time spaceflier, will lead a four-person crew that includes Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano as pilot, and mission specialists Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio, both NASA astronauts.
Bob Hines will serve as backup crew member.
Artemis III is designed to test docking capabilities in Earth orbit with two commercial lunar landers: SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System (HLS) and Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2. The mission will involve three separate rocket launches: NASA's Space Launch System carrying the Orion spacecraft, SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy booster, and Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket.
While the crew will not land on the moon, two astronauts are scheduled to enter the Blue Moon lander after docking.
The mission is considered one of NASA's most complex to date, coming on the heels of Artemis II, which in April sent four astronauts around the moon for the first time in over 50 years. Both missions are stepping stones toward a planned lunar landing as early as 2028, part of NASA's broader Artemis campaign to establish a permanent human presence on the moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars.
Bresnik, who grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Santa Monica High School, has extensive experience from two prior missions, including long-duration stays aboard the International Space Station where he conducted spacewalks and scientific research. His leadership in both the military and space made him a natural choice for this high-stakes role.
Despite recent development delays—SpaceX's Starship was grounded by the FAA after an issue during a May test flight, and Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during pre-launch preparations—NASA officials and company leaders expressed confidence that both landers will be ready for Artemis III. The mission is a key part of the U.S.
effort to beat China in the next phase of lunar exploration.