Artemis III crew named as NASA targets late 2027 moon trip

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the agency on Thursday named the four astronauts assigned to Artemis III, the mission targeted for late 2027 that aims to return humans to the moon. The announcement matters locally because Johnson remains the operational hub for U.S. human spaceflight, training crews and directing mission work tied to Artemis.

The Artemis III crew includes Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. NASA has said the mission is planned as the first crewed lunar landing effort of the Artemis program, using the Space Launch System rocket, the Orion spacecraft, SpaceX's Starship lunar lander and new lunar spacesuits being developed for moonwalk operations.

Artemis III crew adds another milestone for Johnson Space Center

Wiseman and Glover both flew on SpaceX Crew-1 to the International Space Station. Koch holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman and also took part in the first all-female spacewalk. Hansen, an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency, was previously assigned to Artemis II, the mission slated to fly astronauts around the moon before any landing attempt.

NASA's Artemis campaign has moved through schedule shifts as the agency and its contractors work through spacecraft development, spacesuit readiness and lunar landing system testing. Artemis II is currently planned ahead of Artemis III, serving as the next major test of Orion and SLS with astronauts aboard. Artemis III depends on multiple hardware systems being ready in sequence, including Starship demonstrations in orbit and lunar mission integration.

Late 2027 target keeps focus on lunar landing hardware

NASA has framed Artemis III as the mission meant to land astronauts near the lunar south pole, a region the agency views as important for science and future exploration planning. The agency has not completed all milestones needed to lock in the launch date, but it is using late 2027 as its current target for the mission.

For Houston, the crew assignment puts another high-profile Artemis program milestone at the doorstep of Johnson Space Center. Flight control, astronaut training and mission planning work tied to Artemis are based in the city, keeping local attention on federal space spending and contractor activity connected to the moon program.

NASA's next major Artemis step is Artemis II, the crewed lunar flyby mission that must fly before Artemis III can launch. Mission timing for Artemis III will remain tied to readiness reviews for Orion, SLS, spacesuits and the Starship landing system in the months ahead.

This article is a summary of reporting by The Business Journals. Read the full story here.