NASA to reveal crew of Artemis III on June 9
What's the story
NASA will announce the crew for its highly-anticipated Artemis III mission on June 9. The agency plans to reveal the names of the astronauts selected for this historic journey during a live event. The mission is a major milestone in NASA's long-term lunar exploration program and will test technologies critical for future Moon and Mars missions.
Objectives
Artemis III will focus on lunar rendezvous and docking operations
The Artemis III mission will launch four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft atop NASA's powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from Kennedy Space Center. The upcoming flight will focus heavily on complex rendezvous and docking operations between Orion and commercial human landing systems. These systems are designed to ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon's surface, forming a key part of NASA's plan for establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon.
Mission evolution
NASA's return to the Moon
NASA has said that Artemis III builds directly on the success of Artemis II, a crewed lunar test mission completed in April. This was the first time astronauts traveled around the Moon under the Artemis program, validating key systems needed for deep-space human exploration. With this new mission, NASA hopes to go beyond orbital missions and land humans on the lunar surface for the first time since 1972.
Research goals
A new era of space exploration
The Artemis III mission is also expected to broaden scientific exploration, including studies of lunar resources, surface conditions, and technologies needed for long-duration missions. The program is a major part of NASA's wider ambitions for a new "Golden Age of innovation and exploration." Officials say the Moon will serve as a testing ground for future crewed missions to Mars, helping astronauts develop systems capable of supporting human life far from Earth.