NASA picks first European astronaut for Artemis mission
DW • • general
Key Points:
- NASA has selected Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano as the pilot for the Artemis III mission, making him the first European to participate in the US space agency's key human spaceflight campaign.
- The Artemis III crew, unveiled for a 2027 flight, includes NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik (commander), Andre Douglas, and Frank Rubio (mission specialists), with Parmitano joining them to test lunar landers in Earth's orbit.
- The mission will focus on docking exercises with new lunar landers, serving as critical preparations for Artemis IV, NASA's first planned crewed mission to the lunar South Pole in 2028.
- Parmitano, an experienced astronaut with two International Space Station missions and complex spacewalks, expressed honor and eagerness to contribute to the mission, marking a significant milestone for Italy and the European Space Agency.
- Artemis III follows the successful Artemis II mission, which recently set a new human spaceflight distance record, and NASA views this next step as part of ushering in a new era of lunar exploration.