It feels like just yesterday we were reporting on the historic Artemis II launch, which saw four astronauts fly by the moon for the first time in 50 years. The 10-day journey took Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen around the lunar surface, paving the way for an eventual landing.
Now, NASA is looking forward to its next lunar leap by revealing the four astronauts it plans to send on next year’s Artemis III mission. And get this: half of the newly-announced crew has major roots here in Miami!
Which Artemis III crewmembers have Miami ties?
Both Dr. Frank Rubio and Dr. Andre Douglas are gearing up for the ride of a lifetime! While they each share beginnings in South Florida, their paths to NASA’s Artemis program are uniquely their own.
A graduate of Miami Sunset Senior High School, Rubio and his wife, Deborah, still call Miami home today. The mission specialist for the upcoming mission currently holds the U.S. record for longest single spaceflight; spending 371 continuous days in orbit aboard the International Space Station!
Also representing the Magic City up in space as mission specialist, Douglas may have spent much of his childhood growing up in Chesapeake, Virginia, but his story started right here in Miami. Plus, his father resides in Tampa, so his Florida ties remain strong.
Douglas holds three master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in engineering, and unlike Rubio, Artemis III will be his very first time traveling to space!
The two will be joined by Commander Randy Bresnik and Pilot Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (ESA).
What does the Artemis III mission entail?
You might remember that Artemis III was supposed to be the mission that finally returns humans to the lunar surface, but NASA announced it will instead serve as a high-stakes “dress rehearsal” in low Earth orbit. The actual moon landing is expected to be Artemis IV, which is targeted for a 2028 launch.
Here’s what our Miami duo and their crewmates will be doing during their two weeks in space for the 2027 Artemis III mission, according to NASA:
“During Artemis III, the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket will launch the Orion spacecraft and its crew from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to low Earth orbit. After Orion systems checkouts, the spacecraft will, for the first time, demonstrate rendezvous and docking capabilities with test versions from one, or both, American commercial human landing systems in development by Blue Origin and SpaceX. This highly choreographed mission includes a dramatic multi-launch campaign of the world’s most powerful rockets, testing integrated hardware between Orion and the landers, including system interfaces, software, propulsion, and communications.”
You can learn more about Artemis III here.
