Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano will serve as the lead pilot for the Artemis III test flight. This NASA mission, scheduled for launch in 2027, aims to evaluate technology for a future lunar landing.
NASA has selected Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano to pilot the Artemis III mission, marking him as the first European to join the US space agency's pivotal human spaceflight initiative.
On Tuesday, NASA Chief Jared Isaacman announced a four-person crew and a backup for the 2027 flight, which will assess new lunar landers—not on the moon as initially intended, but closer to home in Earth's orbit.
The Artemis III crew
NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik has been chosen as the mission commander, with Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio serving as mission specialists.
The three US astronauts, along with the European Space Agency's (ESA) Parmitano, will circle Earth while practicing docking their Orion capsule with two moon landers.
NASA described these tests as demanding and essential for Artemis IV, which is the agency's first planned crewed mission to the lunar South Pole in 2028.
NASA astronaut Bob Hines was designated as a backup crew member, ready to step in if needed.
NASA builds on Artemis II success
Artemis III follows the achievement of the Artemis II mission two months ago, when humans flew around the moon for the first time in more than five decades.
The April mission broke the distance record set by the 1970 spaceflight Apollo 13.
"Today we take another bold step in humanity's return to the Moon, building on the extraordinary foundation laid by the Artemis II astronauts," said NASA Administrator Isaacman.
"The Artemis III astronauts, alongside ESA and our international partners, and the tens of thousands of the best and brightest across the agency and industry, are ushering in a new Golden Age of exploration carrying forward the hopes and dreams of the next generation just as the Apollo astronauts did for so many of us," he added.
Who is Luca Parmitano?
Parmitano will be the second non-US participant in the Artemis program, following the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen, who flew on Artemis II.
The 49-year-old was chosen as an astronaut by the ESA in 2009. His background includes two completed missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Parmitano, who trained at the Italian Air Force Academy and worked as a test pilot, also carried out complex spacewalks.
During one such excursion in 2013, he faced a near-fatal incident on a planned six-hour spacewalk when his helmet began filling with water due to a malfunction in the suit's cooling system.
He is also recognized for performing the first-ever DJ set from space.
A DJ from outer space
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"I am honored to be part of this crew, and humbled at the same time: my crew mates bring a wealth of different experiences, and I am looking forward to working with them, eager to learn and to contribute as much as I can in my role," Parmitano said in a statement after being named the Artemis III's lead pilot.
Boost for Italy
Parmitano's involvement in NASA's Artemis program is viewed as a success for Italy, as the agency's other international partners seek new opportunities.
In a statement, Italian Space Agency President Teodoro Valente said that Parmitano's selection for Artemis III "confirms and enhances the role and capabilities of the European and Italian space system in the human exploration of the universe."
Edited by: Natalie Muller
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