NASA names Artemis III crew – no moonwalk planned

NASA has christened the crew for its next big lunar venture, Artemis III, but the launch will happen only in low‑Earth orbit. The astronauts will dock with prototype lunar landers for a technology test, rather than touch the moon’s surface.

The mission originally aimed to land the first crewed spacecraft on the moon in 2027, but a cascade of delays from SpaceX’s Starship rocket and a recent New Glenn rocket explosion pushed NASA to rethink the plan. The new itinerary keeps the crew in the same orbit that the International Space Station occupies and lets them practice docking too.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the operation would still be “the most intricate ever” in coordinating multiple heavy‑lift launches and trans‑ orbit propulsion. He praised the teamwork between government agencies and commercial spaceflight partners.

Who’s aboard?

• Commander: Randy Bresnik (NASA)


• Pilot: Luca Parmitano (ESA)


• Mission Specialists: Andre Douglas & Frank Rubio (USA)


• Backup Crew: Bob Heintz (test pilot)

Heintz has logged more than 170 days in space and can step into any pivotal role if needed.

Why the change?

Starship’s heavy payload requires in‑orbit refueling, an untested technology that could take months to prove reliable. Blue Origin’s New Glenn fireball also delayed key lunar lander launches, adding pressure to NASA’s tight schedule.

If the refueling and New Glenn issues cannot be resolved swiftly, a lunar landing could slip past 2028, challenging the U.S. competition with China, which aims to land astronauts by 2030.

Next steps

NASA’s optimistic timeline still foresees a 2027 Artemis III demo mission and a 2028 lunar landing for Artemis IV. Experts, however, caution that the schedule is ambitious given the technological hurdles and recent setbacks.