US and Italian astronauts picked for orbital docking test involving SpaceX and Blue Origin landers.
Image: NBC NEWS
NASA has announced a new crew for its Artemis III mission, selecting three US astronauts and one Italian astronaut for a key spaceflight test scheduled for next year.
The crew includes André Douglas, Frank Rubio and Randy Bresnik from the United States, along with Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency.
The mission will not land on the Moon but will focus on a complex docking demonstration in low-Earth orbit. It will test spacecraft developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin as part of NASA’s future lunar exploration plans.
The Artemis III mission will involve multiple spacecraft, including NASA’s Orion capsule and landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. The vehicles will dock in sequence in orbit before returning to Earth.
NASA officials say the mission is a critical step toward future crewed Moon landings under the Artemis programme, which aims to establish a long-term human presence on the lunar surface.
The mission comes amid global competition in space exploration, particularly with China, which is planning its own crewed lunar landing later this decade.
Both SpaceX and Blue Origin are still finalising their lunar lander systems, and the mission will serve as a key test of their readiness for future deep space operations.
