NASA picks 4 astronauts for 2027 Artemis III docking test
What's next: The crew will rehearse moon-lander docking in Earth orbit before NASA targets a lunar landing on Artemis IV in 2028.
NASA selected three American astronauts and one Italian astronaut for Artemis III, a 2027 mission recast as an Earth-orbit test of lunar landing hardware rather than a trip around the moon. The crew is Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, Randy Bresnik and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency. During the mission, NASA's Orion capsule is set to dock in low Earth orbit with prototype landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, letting astronauts test hatches, life-support links and other procedures. NASA shifted Artemis III after delays to SpaceX's Starship lander and its still-unproven in-orbit refueling plan. The mission is now intended to reduce risk before Artemis IV, which NASA schedules for a moon landing attempt in 2028.