Nasa names next astronauts for Artemis Moon programme
Summary
NASA announced the crew for its Artemis III mission, planned for 2027. Instead of landing on the Moon, this mission will stay in low Earth orbit to test docking with lunar landers due to delays with SpaceX's Starship rocket needed for Moon landings.Key Facts
- Artemis III was initially planned as a crewed Moon landing but now will orbit Earth testing lunar lander dockings.
- The crew includes commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano, and mission specialists Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio.
- Backup crew member Bob Heintz is a test pilot with significant space experience.
- SpaceX’s Starship rocket, designed to carry astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon surface, is delayed due to technology and refueling challenges.
- The Starship must be refueled in Earth orbit, which has never been tested in space before.
- Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a test, causing launchpad damage and delaying scheduled missions.
- The Blue Moon cargo lander and Artemis 4 crewed lander launches face timeline uncertainty due to Blue Origin’s setback.
- NASA aims for Artemis 3 in 2027 as a technology demo, Artemis 4 Moon landing by early 2028, followed by Artemis 5 for base building.
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