NASA Names Four Astronauts for 2027 Artemis III Moon Mission
NASA announced the four-person crew for its Artemis III mission, scheduled to launch in 2027 aboard the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. The crew includes three Americans and one Italian astronaut.
ABC NewsNASA on Tuesday named the four astronauts who will fly its Artemis III mission to the moon, set for launch in 2027. The agency described the flight as a complex mission that will send the crew in the Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System rocket.
Three of the four astronauts are American; the fourth is Italian. Three members have prior spaceflight experience, while one served as a backup crew member on the preceding Artemis II mission. The crew spoke with reporters about the mission and the primary technical challenge they face.
III will mark the first crewed lunar landing under the current program architecture. The flight follows Artemis II, which completed an uncrewed test of the Orion spacecraft around the moon. Officials said the mission will test landing systems and surface operations ahead of later Artemis flights.
" The announcement comes as NASA continues preparations for sustained human presence on the lunar surface.
