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Artemis III Crew Revealed: Journey to Lunar Orbit Awaits!
9 Jun
Summary
- Artemis III crew announcement set for June 9th, 11 a.m. ET.
- Mission tests lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin in orbit.
- Future missions will involve landing on the lunar surface.
NASA is set to announce the four-person crew for the Artemis III mission on Tuesday, June 9th, at 11 a.m. ET. The crew will embark on a journey into Earth orbit in 2027 to evaluate the human lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. This mission is a crucial step in NASA's broader Artemis program, which aims to expand lunar knowledge and establish a long-term human presence.
The Artemis program began with Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight in 2022, followed by Artemis II, which sent four astronauts around the Moon earlier this year without landing. Artemis III will launch from Florida aboard the Orion spacecraft, powered by the SLS rocket. The mission's primary objective is to test the rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and the commercial landers.
These Human Landing Systems (HLS) are vital for transporting astronauts to the lunar surface in subsequent missions. While Artemis III will test the landers in low Earth orbit, future missions will see the lander descend to the Moon's surface, with crew transfers eventually occurring via NASA's Gateway lunar space station. The announcement can be streamed live on NASA+ and the agency's YouTube channel.
