NASA Names Andre Douglas for Artemis III Mission

NASA Names Andre Douglas to Artemis III Mission Crew

NASA has named astronaut Andre Douglas as one of the mission specialists for Artemis III, adding another major milestone to the agency’s plans for future human missions to the Moon.

NASA announced the four-member Artemis III crew on June 9, 2026. The crew includes Commander Randy Bresnik, Pilot Luca Parmitano, and Mission Specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas.

Unlike earlier descriptions that may suggest Artemis III will land astronauts on the Moon, NASA says the mission is designed to operate in low Earth orbit. The crew will use the mission to test important systems and demonstrate rendezvous and docking between the Orion spacecraft and commercial human landing systems being developed by American companies.

The testing is considered an important step toward future Artemis missions that are expected to carry astronauts to the lunar surface. NASA says Artemis III will help reduce risks and demonstrate technologies needed for later missions, including Artemis IV.

For Andre Douglas, the assignment follows several years of astronaut training. He joined NASA’s 2021 astronaut candidate class and reported for duty in January 2022. In 2024, NASA selected him as a backup crew member for the Artemis II mission, where he trained alongside other astronauts involved in the program.

Douglas previously worked at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where his work included maritime robotics, planetary defense and space exploration missions. He also holds a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University.

Artemis III is expected to launch in 2027 aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft. During the mission, Orion will perform rendezvous and docking tests with one or both commercial landing systems being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.

The mission will not land astronauts on the Moon, but its results are expected to play an important role in preparing NASA and its partners for future lunar surface missions. NASA describes Artemis III as a key test of the systems required for the next phase of human exploration beyond Earth orbit.

Source: NASA