US-SPACE-NASA-ARTEMIS III

(L/R) NASA astronaut commander Randy Bresnik, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut pilot Luca Parmitano, NASA astronaut mission specialist Frank Rubio, and NASA astronaut mission specialist Andre Douglas speak during a press conference announcing the crew for the Artemis III mission at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on June 9, 2026. The Italian Luca Parmitano will be the pilot of NASA's Artemis 3 voyage, the first European to join one of the program's missions. Parmitano, who will represent the European Space Agency, is one of four men named as crewmembers tasked with carrying out Artemis 3, which is targeting launch in late 2027. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)