Science TechnologyThursday, 11 June 2026·The Hindu - Science
NASA names Artemis III crew for 2026 docking test of SpaceX Starship and Blue Origin Blue Moon
NASA on June 9, 2026 named four astronauts for Artemis III, a low-Earth-orbit docking mission to test SpaceX Starship and Blue Origin Blue Moon.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In June 2026, NASA announced the Artemis III crew in Houston, naming U.S. astronauts Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio and Randy Bresnik, along with ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, for a low-Earth-orbit docking mission planned for late 2027.
Key specifics
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced the crew at a ceremony in Houston on June 9, 2026.
- The mission includes 4 astronauts: 3 from the U.S. and 1 Italian astronaut, Luca Parmitano, from the European Space Agency.
- Randy Bresnik, 58, was named mission commander and has 3 spaceflights to his credit.
- Artemis III will test SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon docking with NASA’s Orion in low-Earth orbit.
- NASA plans the final lunar-surface landing mission in 2028 after Artemis III, while China targets a crewed moon landing by 2030.
Exam lens
Question type: Science & technology current affairs, match-the-following and chronology. Key facts: June 9, 2026, Houston, 4-member crew, Orion, Starship, Blue Moon, Artemis III, 2028 lunar landing target. TNPSC may ask which mission first tests the two moon landers in space.