Mankind is once again making history in space, with no plans to slow down.
NASA announced Tuesday the names of four military members who will take the next step in “one of the most complex human spaceflight missions in recent history” — Artemis III.
“The Artemis III astronauts, alongside ESA [European Space Agency] 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,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in a press release.
All crew members — as well as the backup who will train alongside the Artemis III crew — have military experience across multiple branches (and one international service!).
Commander Bresnik
Randy “Komrade” Bresnik, a retired Marine Corps colonel, was announced Artemis III commander. Commissioned into the Marine Corps from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at The Citadel in 1989, Bresnik has over 7,000 hours in nearly 100 types of aircraft/rotorcraft/gliders. Selected as an astronaut in 2004, he has over 3,600 hours in spacecraft and 32 hours of spacewalk experience. Artemis III will be his third spaceflight.
“It is an honor and a blessing to be a part of such a stellar crew,” Bresnik said at the mission update. He went on to recognize the crew’s families who would make sacrifices while they are training and in space before turning his attention to his peers.
“Spaceflight is hard, and that’s why the most important Artemis mission will always be the next Artemis mission… We are certainly humbled as a crew to be able to be your crew that executes this Artemis III mission in space. Being that unifying link between the phenomenal Artemis II mission we just had two months ago and the Artemis IV mission that will follow ours, where we will again be the first to land humans on another celestial body — that celestial body being our neighbor in the sky at night, the Moon.”
Pilot Parmitano
Luca Parmitano, a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, was announced as the Artemis III pilot. A colonel in the Italian Air Force, he graduated from the Italian Air Force Academy in 2000, and became a test pilot in 2007. He has logged over 2,000 flight hours across 40+ types of aircraft. In 2009, Parmitano was selected to be an ESA astronaut, and Artemis III will be his third spaceflight. As Artemis II welcomed Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency (with Hansen making history as the first Canadian to go to the Moon), this will be the first Artemis mission with an ESA astronaut.
Initially apologizing for getting emotional after being announced as the Artemis III pilot, Parmitano said, “I’m honored by the role that I’ve been given. I’m also very humbled by the task in front of us. But first and foremost, I’m grateful.”
Parmitano went on to poetically summarize the meaning of this trip and the institutions behind them before turning to his family.
“You are the energy that feeds my soul. And your love is the spark that ignites every passion. Thank you. Grazie.”
Mission Specialist Rubio
Dr. Frank Rubio is a 1998 U.S. Military Academy graduate where he was a member of the Black Knights, the West Point Parachute Team. An aviation colonel who earned his medical degree in 2010, he has served in the Army for 28 years as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot and physician.
In 2017, Rubio was selected by NASA for that year’s Astronaut Candidate Class. Artemis III will be his second trip into space; his first trip made history, after “[h]e launched aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from Baikonur to the space station on Sept. 21, 2022, and returned on Sept. 27, 2023, breaking the record for the longest single-duration spaceflight by an American astronaut with 371 days in orbit,” said NASA in the press release.
During the Artemis III mission update, Rubio thanked his peers and colleagues, and said, “We look forward to representing you guys and to helping take the next step so that we can watch you guys continue to make history. So thank you — and go Artemis III.”
Mission Specialist Douglas
“My brain, it is going a mile a minute right now, but my heart — my heart, it is so warm. It is so full,” Andre Douglas said after being announced as a mission specialist during the Artemis III mission update before thanking his family for their belief in him and continued support.
A graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, the Coast Guard Reserve officer was selected for the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class. This is his first spaceflight, though he trained with the Artemis II team for their mission as a backup crew member — that is, he was trusted and equipped to replace any of the members.
An astronaut with an array of knowledge (he has five degrees under his belt, including a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in mechanical engineering, a master’s degree in naval architecture and marine engineering, yet another master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering, and also a doctorate in systems engineering), Douglas will be an asset to the Artemis III mission.
“This mission is going to be fantastic,” Douglas concluded. “What an excellent crew, [I’m] very proud to serve with these gentlemen… Go Artemis, go NASA.”
Backup crew member Hines
As Douglas was the backup crew member for Artemis II, astronaut Bob Hines will have the grueling role of training alongside the four crew members as the Artemis III backup. Hines must be ready to step into any role at the last minute while simultaneously mentally preparing to help them from the ground if all goes according to plan. An Air Force colonel who has over 4,000 hours of flight time and flown 76 combat missions, Hines joined NASA’s 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class, and has 170 days in space.
Passing the baton
Earlier this year, a crew of four — Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Hansen — climbed aboard Artemis II to test deep-space mission capability for humans. In the 10-day trip around the Moon, the astronauts went farther than anyone has ever gone in space exploration. Millions of people around the world shared in the joy and wonder of the mission, and watched as they returned to Earth safely.
At the end of the Artemis III mission update, three of the four Artemis II crew members joined their fellow Artemis astronauts on stage. (Hansen was unable to be present.) After a hearty round of handshakes and hugs between the colleagues, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman spoke to the men of Artemis III.
“We just want to say how completely fired up we are for you,” Wiseman said, adding that Bresnik’s words about being the link between Artemis II and the surface “really resonated” with him.
Wiseman, a man known for symbolism, then pulled out a baton, saying, “… we’ve been carrying these batons around for way too long. And so with that, the Artemis II crew, Komrade, hands you the baton.”
Artemis II Commander Wiseman confidently passed the baton to Artemis III Commander Bresnik, with these parting words:
“You got the controls.”
Stay tuned for Douglas’ feature story in Military Families Magazine’s JulAug print issue where Associate Editor Abby Ammons had an exclusive interview with the Artemis III crew member.
