During an official press conference held at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA officially presented the names of the astronauts who will take part in the historic flight.
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He will lead the cabin crew experienced commander Randy Bresnik of NASA.
On the armchair The pilot will be Italian Luca Parmitanorepresenting the European Space Agency (ESA). The team will be complemented by mission specialists from the American agency: Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas, for whom it will be an absolute debut in space. Bob Hines will secure the mission as a reserve astronaut.
Astronauts Randy Bresnik, Italian Luca Parmitano from the European Space Agency, Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas
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Brandon Bell/Getty Images
The dreams of millions aboard Orion
The event had an extremely solemn character, and the selected four were personally addressed by the head of NASA, Jared Isaacman. He emphasized how huge responsibility and hopes rest on the shoulders of the designated astronauts.
— You carry within you the ardor of exploration from generations past, the trust of this agency and the support of this nation, and the dreams of millions of people who will cheer you on, knowing that what others think is impossible turns out to be what we at NASA do best. – he said.
The crew's main task during the Artemis III mission will be to test procedures in low lunar orbit. After being launched into space by a powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, astronauts in the Orion capsule will perform a complex docking maneuver with the lunar lander. This machine is to be delivered by private giants of the space sector – SpaceX or Blue Origin.
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European debut in the Artemis program
The choice of Luka Parmitano is a great success for the Old Continent. The former military fighter pilot will go down in history as the first ESA astronaut to take an active part in the Artemis program. This is a continuation of building international alliances by NASA – let us recall that in the earlier Artemis II mission, which involved a flight around the Silver Globe, Canadian Jeremy Hansen was on board.
All these activities constitute the foundations for the implementation of the long-term vision of establishing a permanent, permanent human presence on the Moon. According to the current schedule, the launch of the Artemis III test mission is scheduled for 2027. This will be a direct springboard to the next breakthrough step: the Artemis IV mission, which in 2028 is to lead to the re-landing of humans on the surface of the Moon, specifically in the area of its south pole.
