NASA has named Commander Randy Bresnik, a veteran astronaut and retired Marine colonel from Santa Monica, California, to lead the four-person crew for Artemis III, a high-stakes mission scheduled for 2027. The mission, announced Tuesday at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, is designed to test critical docking capabilities with two commercial lunar landers in Earth orbit, marking a pivotal step toward returning humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era.
Artemis III will involve three separate rocket launches and multiple spacecraft, making it one of the most logistically complex missions NASA has ever undertaken. The crew will launch aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Once in orbit, they will dock with SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System and Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2 landers, which will reach orbit via their own rockets—SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy and Blue Origin's New Glenn.
Bresnik, a Santa Monica High School graduate and three-time spaceflier, brings 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 in orbit made him a natural choice for commander.
The crew also includes Pilot Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, Mission Specialist Andre Douglas, and Mission Specialist Frank Rubio, with Bob Hines serving as backup.
While Artemis III will not land on the lunar surface, it is a crucial proving ground ahead of planned moon landings as early as 2028. The mission follows April's Artemis II, which sent astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
NASA officials, led by Administrator Jared Isaacman, expressed confidence that both commercial landers will be ready despite recent development delays, including the FAA grounding SpaceX's Starship and a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explosion in May.
The Artemis program, established during President Donald Trump's first term amid a space race with China, aims to build a $20 billion lunar base where astronauts can live and work long-term, serving as a stepping stone for human exploration of Mars.