NASA Artemis III Crew Member Photos

NASA Artemis III Crew Member Photos

The Artemis III crew poses for an official portrait (from left: Luca Parmitano, Andre Douglas, Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio).

Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik poses for a photo during a video shoot.

Artemis III mission specialist Andre Douglas poses for a photo during a video shoot.

Artemis III mission specialist Frank Rubio poses for a photo during a video shoot.

Artemis III pilot Luca Parmitano poses for a photo during a video shoot.

The Artemis III crew photographed during a video shoot—from left: Andre Douglas, Luca Parmitano, Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio.

The Artemis III crew photographed during a video shoot—from left: Andre Douglas, Luca Parmitano, Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio.

The Artemis III crew poses for an official portrait, from left: Andre Douglas, Luca Parmitano, Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio.

NASA on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, provided new Artemis III Mission details and announced the four prime crew members, including a backup for the test flight. The mission will undertake a series of tests in Earth orbit during 2027, essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the Moon's South Pole in 2028.

During Artemis III, the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) 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 (HLS) in development by Blue Origin and SpaceX. The crew will test hardware integration between the Orion spacecraft and the landers, including system interfaces, software, propulsion, and communications.

Artemis III Crew:

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, commander

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as a backup crew member. The crew will begin training immediately on Orion spacecraft systems, as well as assist in the development and operations of the test versions of Blue Origin and SpaceX landers.

This also is the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned an Artemis mission.

Engineers will connect the Orion crew module and service module this summer and integrate the spacecraft’s docking system that will fly for the first time. Heat shield testing continues with individual blocks having undergone ultra-sonic inspections and installation onto the heat shield structure.

Rocket processing also is well underway. Technicians for SLS are integrating the engine section to the rest of the core stage ahead of installing the four RS-25 engines this summer. Rocket stacking also is also scheduled to begin. Meanwhile, NASA continues design and fabrication of a spacer that will replace the upper stage on Artemis III.

Blue Origin is developing a crewed lunar version of the company’s Blue Moon lander, while SpaceX is developing a crewed lunar lander version of the company’s Starship, with both companies building test articles for Artemis III. NASA is supporting both lander providers hands-on throughout design, development, testing, and evaluation, including sharing agency expertise and capabilities gained from previous missions.

Blue Origin’s lander pathfinder, able to stay in orbit for multiple weeks, will launch first and await the crew. NASA will send the astronauts aboard Orion by SLS to orbit Earth, before rendezvousing in space with the company’s lander test article and spending about two days docked together for tests and technology demonstrations, including entering the lander.

After completing docked operations with Blue Origin, Orion will detach and await Starship. SpaceX’s Starship pathfinder will launch and meet up with Orion to spend about a day connected for checkouts and testing. After that, Orion and its crew will undock and return home, splashing safely down in the Pacific Ocean.

In total, the crew is expected to remain in space for about two weeks with exact mission length to be determined in real-time based on launch, rendezvous, and docked operations.

Learn more about the Artemis III crew members:

This will be the third mission to space for Bresnik, having launched aboard space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station in 2009. He later flew on the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the space station, serving as a flight engineer for the station’s Expedition 52 and commander of Expedition 53. A California native, he graduated from The Citadel with a degree in mathematics and was selected by NASA in the 2004 astronaut candidate class. A retired U.S. Marine colonel, he has logged more than 7,000 hours in 95 types of aircraft and is a fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Since 2018, he has served as assistant to the chief of the Astronaut Office for exploration, overseeing the development and testing of the spacecraft and systems that will operate during Artemis missions.

Artemis III also will be the third spaceflight for Parmitano. Selected by ESA as an astronaut in 2009, he first served as a flight engineer on the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) first long-duration mission to the space station, launching on a Soyuz from Baikonur in 2013. He returned to the orbital laboratory in 2019 aboard Soyuz MS-13 for his second mission, during which he served as commander of Expedition 61, becoming the third European, and the first Italian, to command the station. Parmitano earned a bachelor’s degree in political sciences from the University of Naples Federico II and a master’s degree in experimental flight test engineering from the Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace in Toulouse, France. A graduate of the Italian Air Force Academy, he became a test pilot in 2007 and was promoted to colonel in 2019. He has logged more than 2,000 flight hours across 40 types of aircraft.

Rubio is making his second trip to space. He launched aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from Baikonur to the space station on Sept. 21, 2022, and returned on Sept. 27, 2023, breaking the record for the longest single-duration spaceflight by an American astronaut with 371 days in orbit. Rubio was selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class. A Florida native, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1998, earned a doctor of medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2010, and has served for more than 28 years in the U.S. Army as an aviator, a physician, and an astronaut.

The mission is Douglas’ first spaceflight. Selected by NASA in the 2021 astronaut candidate class, he previously served as a backup and closeout crew member for the agency’s Artemis II mission. A Virginia native, Douglas earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and four postgraduate degrees from various institutions, including a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University. During his time in the Coast Guard, he conducted search and rescue, maritime salvage, and drug interdiction operations. Additionally, his time at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory involved designing and testing multidomain autonomous vehicles, space exploration systems, and numerous undersea warfare platforms.

Serving as a backup crew member, Hines will train alongside Bresnik, Parmitano, Rubio, and Douglas. Should a primary crew member be unable to participate in the mission, he would join the Artemis III crew. Hines previously served as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station. Selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class, he served as a research pilot at the agency’s Johnson Space Center prior to his selection. He is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force with more than 27 years of service as an instructor pilot, fighter pilot, and test pilot.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Image Credit: NASA/Luna Posadas Nava/Bill Stafford/Helen Arase Vargas

Release Date: June 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #RandyBresnik #FrankRubio #AndreDouglas #LucaParmitano #Italy #Italia #Europe #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Strongest Evidence Yet for "Black Hole Stars” | James Webb Space Telescope

Strongest Evidence Yet for "Black Hole Stars” | James Webb Space Telescope

A field of galaxies against the black background of space. In the centre is a bright-white elliptical galaxy that is the core of the Abell S1063 galaxy cluster. Around the core are short, curved red lines, which are distant background galaxies magnified and warped by gravitational lensing. A couple of foreground stars appear large and bright with Webb’s signature eight-point diffraction spike pattern. Toward the very bottom, slightly off center toward the right, is a small red dot that is highlighted by an orange square outline. A larger orange square in the top right corner shows the object in more detail. The object, labeled “GLIMPSE-17775” looks like a fuzzy red dot with a yellow core.

A spectrum graphic showing the amount of light blocked on the y-axis versus wavelength of light, in microns. The bottom of the y-axis is labeled “fainter,” and the top is labeled “brighter.” The x-axis starts with 2.80 microns at left and continues in increments of five, ending with 3.05 microns at right. A key at top left has a white line labeled “Data” and a small blue square labeled “Model of light scattered through hot dense gas.” The white data line is stepped with a large bell-like curve that peaks at 2.95 microns. It is labeled “hydrogen” and highlighted by a semi-transparent purple. The data also forms small peaks highlighted with different colors: around 2.84 microns, oxygen, green; 3.0 microns, helium, red; and 3.02 microns, sulfur, orange. The blue filling, representing the model, approximately fills the bell-like curve that marks hydrogen. A smaller peak of blue also approximately fills the data’s peak of helium.

The complex puzzle of the objects known as little red dots (LRDs) has gradually become more complete since their initial discovery by the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope in 2022. Now a particular little red dot’s spectrum is helping connect many of the pieces.

A team of astronomers led by Vasily Kokorev at the University of Texas at Austin identified the lucky dot in question: GLIMPSE-17775. By carefully analyzing the dot’s spectrum captured by Webb—the deepest spectrum to date of a little red dot—the research team has identified multiple lines of evidence, all supported the interpretation that GLIMPSE-17775 is a supermassive black hole enveloped in a dense cocoon of partially ionized gas. A paper describing the results was published today in The Astrophysical Journal.

“I think part of the scientific community is converging on a singular picture—that little red dots can be explained by black hole star models. But none of the previous little red dots have all of the pieces of evidence in the same place,” said Kokorev, lead author of the study. “With GLIMPSE-17775 we can test these models because of how deep and amazing this source’s spectrum is.”

Connecting puzzle pieces
Soon after Webb first began science operations, it discovered a new, mysterious type of object in the very early Universe—abundant red objects that emerged about 600 million years after the Big Bang. Scientists have explored multiple explanations for these little red dots, including the black hole star scenario.

A set of fortunate circumstances brought about this elaborate spectrum of a little red dot. The little red dot that would come to be known as GLIMPSE-17775 was fortunately included in Webb’s imaging and spectroscopy efforts for a project that sought to look for Population III stars [1] and faint galaxies in galaxy cluster Abell S1063. This little red dot is more distant than the galaxy cluster and magnified by gravitational lensing (GLIMPSE-17775 has a cosmological redshift of 3.5, meaning it existed about 1.8 billion years after the Big Bang).

"The source was discovered from the GLIMPSE programme, that was designed to reveal the faintest sources in the early Universe,” said Hakim Atek, of the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris in France, who is a co-author of the study and Principal Investigator of the GLIMPSE programme. “In addition, the magnification by gravitational lensing also enables a more detailed characterization of brighter objects, including LRDs such as GLIMPSE-17775.”

While Webb provided a 30-hour spectrum of the little red dot, the effect of gravitational lensing made it equivalent to 80 hours of telescope time. This combination of Webb’s infrared sensitivity and nature’s own “magnifying glass” amplified the amount of detail that could be gleaned from GLIMPSE-17775. The result was more than 40 spectral lines [2] from this small, red source, which is the most detailed LRD spectrum to date.

“When we saw the spectrum for the first time, it was like having all the pieces of a puzzle scattered on the floor,” said Kokorev. “We picked up each piece of the puzzle, measured the lines, and started combining the different pieces into a mosaic. Maybe a few pieces looked like nothing at first, but then a couple of them came together, and we realized that there was something there.”

The spectroscopic data collected by Webb contains multiple lines of evidence that support the interpretation that little red dot GLIMPSE-17775 is a black hole star: a rapidly accreting, or growing, black hole enveloped in a dense gas cocoon, which is reprocessing the light emitted from near the black hole and producing the features seen in the spectrum.

Lines of evidence
Among the 40-plus lines that the team detected in GLIMPSE-17775’s spectrum were various independent indicators that all align with the black hole star scenario. For example, the team found that many of the spectral lines (such as hydrogen, oxygen, and helium) do not fit a simple model of a rotating gas cloud. Instead, the best fit model includes a broadening effect known as electron scattering: a telltale sign that a dense, layered gas cocoon is enshrouding this source.

The strength and ratios of certain lines to each other, most notably the 16 iron lines that compose what the team has dubbed an “iron forest” and certain oxygen lines, require a high-energy source to produce them, like a rapidly accreting black hole. Additionally, astronomers noted the fluorescence and absorption of helium in the spectrum, both of which individually suggest that there is a dense medium enveloping a powerful source. 

The black hole star scenario not only fits GLIMPSE-17775; it also accounts for why most little red dots are faint in X-rays, since any such emission is likely absorbed by the dense gas cocoon.

One missing element of the GLIMPSE-17775 puzzle piece is the part of the spectrum that would reveal what’s known as a Balmer break, or a strong dip in the emitted light that’s a signature characteristic of little red dots. To build a more comprehensive understanding of this little red dot, the team incorporated ancillary data from two observing programs that used the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope: Frontier Fields and Beyond Ultra-deep Frontier Fields And Legacy Observations (BUFFALO) programs.

The Webb and Hubble data together help explain why the Balmer break is weaker than typically found in other little red dots: a giant host galaxy is surrounding GLIMPSE-17775. Although an LRD’s host galaxy is not something that has been usually seen at such scale before, it is not inconsistent with the dense gas cocoon model. The black hole star model of little red dots attributes excess blue light to stars in the host galaxy.

When Webb first discovered little red dots, researchers thought these objects had “broken cosmology,” unsure how galaxies could have grown so big so quickly in the early Universe to account for all this light coming from their stars. However, the team believes the GLIMPSE-17775 puzzle piece fits nicely in the existing framework of the Universe’s evolutionary history, because black hole masses do not need to be as high in order to explain the broad emission lines.

“Everything fits, nothing is broken, and I think that makes the puzzle that is our Universe even better,” said Kokorev. “Looking ahead, I’m eager to dive deeper and learn about what is powering the central engines of little red dots. While we think it’s a black hole, there are some other interesting theories being proposed, which is exciting. Maybe in a year or two, we’ll have the final answer to what powers these sources.”

Notes
[1] Astronomers know that the first stars, officially known as Population III stars, must have been made almost solely of hydrogen and helium—the elements that formed as a direct result of the Big Bang. They would have contained none of the heavier elements like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and iron that are found in stars shining today. In other words, Population III stars were metal-free (astronomers refer to any element heavier than helium as a metal).
[2] In a spectrum, light emitted or absorbed at a specific frequency by an atom or molecule. Each ion, atom, and molecule emits and absorbs light at specific wavelengths, making it possible to identify the makeup of a star or other celestial body. Emission lines produce bright features, absorption lines dark features, and each line represents light given off or absorbed by one or more substances.

More information
Webb is the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. Under an international collaboration agreement, ESA provided the telescope’s launch service, using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace. ESA also provided the workhorse spectrograph NIRSpec and 50% of the mid-infrared instrument MIRI, which was designed and built by a consortium of nationally funded European Institutes (The MIRI European Consortium) in partnership with JPL and the University of Arizona.

Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, V. Kokorev (University of Texas at Austin), A. Pagan (STScI)
Release Date: June 10, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #GalaxyClusters #AbellS1063 #BlackHoles #LRDs #Stars #GLIMPSE17775 #GrusConstellation #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

NASA Artemis III Announcement Recap: Crew, Mission Details & What’s Next

NASA Artemis III Announcement Recap: Crew, Mission Details & What’s Next

On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, NASA provided updates on the Artemis III Mission and announced crew members for the test flight. Planned to launch in 2027, the mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit. 

On future missions, including Artemis IV in 2028, landers will bring astronauts to the lunar surface. While Artemis III will not land on the Moon, it will test the complex capabilities we need to return—this time to stay.

Artemis III Crew:
• European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot
• NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, mission specialist
• NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, mission specialist
• NASA astronaut Bob Hines, backup crew member

• NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, commander

Blue Origin is developing a crewed lunar version of the company’s Blue Moon lander, while SpaceX is developing a crewed lunar lander version of the company’s Starship, with both companies building test articles for Artemis III. NASA is supporting both lander providers hands-on throughout design, development, testing, and evaluation, including sharing agency expertise and capabilities gained from previous missions.

After completing docked operations with Blue Origin, Orion will detach and await Starship. SpaceX’s Starship pathfinder will launch and meet up with Orion to spend about a day connected for checkouts and testing. After that, Orion and its crew will undock and return home, splashing safely down in the Pacific Ocean.

In total, the crew is expected to remain in space for about two weeks with exact mission length to be determined in real-time based on launch, rendezvous, and docked operations.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis Program: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Video Credit: NASA
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #RandyBresnik #FrankRubio #AndreDouglas #LucaParmitano #Italy #Italia #Europe #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y6 Rocket Launch of Communications Satellites

China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y6 Rocket Launch of Communications Satellites

A China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y6 commercial rocket lifted off at 4:23 p.m. Beijing Time on June 9, 2026, from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China, sending two satellites—the Spacesail DTC 01 and China Mobile 02—into their designated orbits.

Image Credit: Landspace
Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #CommunicationsSatellites #ChinaMobile #SpaceSailConstellation #Earth #LEO #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque2Rocket #Zhuque2EY6 #RocketLaunches #JSLC #InnerMongolia #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education

China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y6 Rocket Launch of SpaceSail Satellites

China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y6 Rocket Launch of Communications Satellites

A China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y6 commercial rocket lifted off at 4:23 p.m. Beijing Time on June 9, 2026, from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China, sending two satellites—the Spacesail DTC 01 and China Mobile 02—into their designated orbits.

Video Credit: Landspace
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #CommunicationsSatellites #ChinaMobile #SpaceSailConstellation #Earth #LEO #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque2Rocket #Zhuque2EY6 #RocketLaunches #JSLC #InnerMongolia #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis II Crew 'Passes Baton' to Artemis III Crew

NASA Artemis II Crew 'Passes Baton' to Artemis III Crew

On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, NASA provided new Artemis III Mission details and announced the four prime crew members, including a backup for the test flight. The mission will undertake a series of tests in Earth orbit during 2027, essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the Moon's South Pole in 2028. During the event, NASA Artemis II crew members, represented by NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover, symbolically 'passed the baton' to their successors, the Artemis III crew on-stage. "Pass the baton" means to transfer responsibility, authority, or a task from one group or person to another, often emphasizing trust and continuity. 

In 2027, NASA's Artemis III Mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit. On future Artemis missions, landers will bring astronauts to the lunar surface. While Artemis III will not land on the Moon, it will test the complex capabilities we need to return and stay. NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas will join European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano of Italy on this historic mission.

During Artemis III, the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) 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 (HLS) in development by Blue Origin and SpaceX. The crew will test hardware integration between the Orion spacecraft and the landers, including system interfaces, software, propulsion, and communications.

Artemis III Crew:

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, commander

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as a backup crew member. The crew will begin training immediately on Orion spacecraft systems, as well as assist in the development and operations of the test versions of Blue Origin and SpaceX landers.

This also is the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned an Artemis mission.

Engineers will connect the Orion crew module and service module this summer and integrate the spacecraft’s docking system that will fly for the first time. Heat shield testing continues with individual blocks having undergone ultra-sonic inspections and installation onto the heat shield structure.

Rocket processing also is well underway. Technicians for SLS are integrating the engine section to the rest of the core stage ahead of installing the four RS-25 engines this summer. Rocket stacking also is also scheduled to begin. Meanwhile, NASA continues design and fabrication of a spacer that will replace the upper stage on Artemis III.

Blue Origin is developing a crewed lunar version of the company’s Blue Moon lander, while SpaceX is developing a crewed lunar lander version of the company’s Starship, with both companies building test articles for Artemis III. NASA is supporting both lander providers hands-on throughout design, development, testing, and evaluation, including sharing agency expertise and capabilities gained from previous missions.

Blue Origin’s lander pathfinder, able to stay in orbit for multiple weeks, will launch first and await the crew. NASA will send the astronauts aboard Orion by SLS to orbit Earth, before rendezvousing in space with the company’s lander test article and spending about two days docked together for tests and technology demonstrations, including entering the lander.

After completing docked operations with Blue Origin, Orion will detach and await Starship. SpaceX’s Starship pathfinder will launch and meet up with Orion to spend about a day connected for checkouts and testing. After that, Orion and its crew will undock and return home, splashing safely down in the Pacific Ocean.

In total, the crew is expected to remain in space for about two weeks with exact mission length to be determined in real-time based on launch, rendezvous, and docked operations.

Learn more about the Artemis III crew members:

This will be the third mission to space for Bresnik, having launched aboard space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station in 2009. He later flew on the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the space station, serving as a flight engineer for the station’s Expedition 52 and commander of Expedition 53. A California native, he graduated from The Citadel with a degree in mathematics and was selected by NASA in the 2004 astronaut candidate class. A retired U.S. Marine colonel, he has logged more than 7,000 hours in 95 types of aircraft and is a fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Since 2018, he has served as assistant to the chief of the Astronaut Office for exploration, overseeing the development and testing of the spacecraft and systems that will operate during Artemis missions.

Artemis III also will be the third spaceflight for Parmitano. Selected by ESA as an astronaut in 2009, he first served as a flight engineer on the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) first long-duration mission to the space station, launching on a Soyuz from Baikonur in 2013. He returned to the orbital laboratory in 2019 aboard Soyuz MS-13 for his second mission, during which he served as commander of Expedition 61, becoming the third European, and the first Italian, to command the station. Parmitano earned a bachelor’s degree in political sciences from the University of Naples Federico II and a master’s degree in experimental flight test engineering from the Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace in Toulouse, France. A graduate of the Italian Air Force Academy, he became a test pilot in 2007 and was promoted to colonel in 2019. He has logged more than 2,000 flight hours across 40 types of aircraft.

Rubio is making his second trip to space. He launched aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from Baikonur to the space station on Sept. 21, 2022, and returned on Sept. 27, 2023, breaking the record for the longest single-duration spaceflight by an American astronaut with 371 days in orbit. Rubio was selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class. A Florida native, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1998, earned a doctor of medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2010, and has served for more than 28 years in the U.S. Army as an aviator, a physician, and an astronaut.

The mission is Douglas’ first spaceflight. Selected by NASA in the 2021 astronaut candidate class, he previously served as a backup and closeout crew member for the agency’s Artemis II mission. A Virginia native, Douglas earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and four postgraduate degrees from various institutions, including a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University. During his time in the Coast Guard, he conducted search and rescue, maritime salvage, and drug interdiction operations. Additionally, his time at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory involved designing and testing multidomain autonomous vehicles, space exploration systems, and numerous undersea warfare platforms.

Serving as a backup crew member, Hines will train alongside Bresnik, Parmitano, Rubio, and Douglas. Should a primary crew member be unable to participate in the mission, he would join the Artemis III crew. Hines previously served as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station. Selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class, he served as a research pilot at the agency’s Johnson Space Center prior to his selection. He is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force with more than 27 years of service as an instructor pilot, fighter pilot, and test pilot.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis Program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Credit: NASA

Duration: 23 seconds

Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #RandyBresnik #FrankRubio #AndreDouglas #LucaParmitano #Europe #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Introducing NASA's Artemis III Crew & Mission

Introducing NASA's Artemis III Crew & Mission

In 2027, NASA's Artemis III Mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit. On future Artemis missions, landers will bring astronauts to the lunar surface. While Artemis III will not land on the Moon, it will test the complex capabilities we need to return and stay. NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas will join European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano of Italy on this historic mission.

NASA on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, provided new Artemis III Mission details and announced the four prime crew members, including a backup for the test flight. The mission will undertake a series of tests in Earth orbit during 2027, essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the Moon's South Pole in 2028.

During Artemis III, the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) 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 (HLS) in development by Blue Origin and SpaceX. The crew will test hardware integration between the Orion spacecraft and the landers, including system interfaces, software, propulsion, and communications.

Artemis III Crew:

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, commander

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as a backup crew member. The crew will begin training immediately on Orion spacecraft systems, as well as assist in the development and operations of the test versions of Blue Origin and SpaceX landers.

This also is the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned an Artemis mission.

Engineers will connect the Orion crew module and service module this summer and integrate the spacecraft’s docking system that will fly for the first time. Heat shield testing continues with individual blocks having undergone ultra-sonic inspections and installation onto the heat shield structure.

Rocket processing also is well underway. Technicians for SLS are integrating the engine section to the rest of the core stage ahead of installing the four RS-25 engines this summer. Rocket stacking also is also scheduled to begin. Meanwhile, NASA continues design and fabrication of a spacer that will replace the upper stage on Artemis III.

Blue Origin is developing a crewed lunar version of the company’s Blue Moon lander, while SpaceX is developing a crewed lunar lander version of the company’s Starship, with both companies building test articles for Artemis III. NASA is supporting both lander providers hands-on throughout design, development, testing, and evaluation, including sharing agency expertise and capabilities gained from previous missions.

Blue Origin’s lander pathfinder, able to stay in orbit for multiple weeks, will launch first and await the crew. NASA will send the astronauts aboard Orion by SLS to orbit Earth, before rendezvousing in space with the company’s lander test article and spending about two days docked together for tests and technology demonstrations, including entering the lander.

After completing docked operations with Blue Origin, Orion will detach and await Starship. SpaceX’s Starship pathfinder will launch and meet up with Orion to spend about a day connected for checkouts and testing. After that, Orion and its crew will undock and return home, splashing safely down in the Pacific Ocean.

In total, the crew is expected to remain in space for about two weeks with exact mission length to be determined in real-time based on launch, rendezvous, and docked operations.

Learn more about the Artemis III crew members:

This will be the third mission to space for Bresnik, having launched aboard space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station in 2009. He later flew on the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the space station, serving as a flight engineer for the station’s Expedition 52 and commander of Expedition 53. A California native, he graduated from The Citadel with a degree in mathematics and was selected by NASA in the 2004 astronaut candidate class. A retired U.S. Marine colonel, he has logged more than 7,000 hours in 95 types of aircraft and is a fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Since 2018, he has served as assistant to the chief of the Astronaut Office for exploration, overseeing the development and testing of the spacecraft and systems that will operate during Artemis missions.

Artemis III also will be the third spaceflight for Parmitano. Selected by ESA as an astronaut in 2009, he first served as a flight engineer on the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) first long-duration mission to the space station, launching on a Soyuz from Baikonur in 2013. He returned to the orbital laboratory in 2019 aboard Soyuz MS-13 for his second mission, during which he served as commander of Expedition 61, becoming the third European, and the first Italian, to command the station. Parmitano earned a bachelor’s degree in political sciences from the University of Naples Federico II and a master’s degree in experimental flight test engineering from the Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace in Toulouse, France. A graduate of the Italian Air Force Academy, he became a test pilot in 2007 and was promoted to colonel in 2019. He has logged more than 2,000 flight hours across 40 types of aircraft.

Rubio is making his second trip to space. He launched aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from Baikonur to the space station on Sept. 21, 2022, and returned on Sept. 27, 2023, breaking the record for the longest single-duration spaceflight by an American astronaut with 371 days in orbit. Rubio was selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class. A Florida native, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1998, earned a doctor of medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2010, and has served for more than 28 years in the U.S. Army as an aviator, a physician, and an astronaut.

The mission is Douglas’ first spaceflight. Selected by NASA in the 2021 astronaut candidate class, he previously served as a backup and closeout crew member for the agency’s Artemis II mission. A Virginia native, Douglas earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and four postgraduate degrees from various institutions, including a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University. During his time in the Coast Guard, he conducted search and rescue, maritime salvage, and drug interdiction operations. Additionally, his time at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory involved designing and testing multidomain autonomous vehicles, space exploration systems, and numerous undersea warfare platforms.

Serving as a backup crew member, Hines will train alongside Bresnik, Parmitano, Rubio, and Douglas. Should a primary crew member be unable to participate in the mission, he would join the Artemis III crew. Hines previously served as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station. Selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class, he served as a research pilot at the agency’s Johnson Space Center prior to his selection. He is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force with more than 27 years of service as an instructor pilot, fighter pilot, and test pilot.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Credit: NASA

Duration: 1 minute, 26 seconds

Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #RandyBresnik #FrankRubio #AndreDouglas #LucaParmitano #Italy #Italia #Europe #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis III Crew Member Announcement

NASA Artemis III Crew Member Announcement

The Artemis III crew poses for an official portrait, from left: Andre Douglas, Luca Parmitano, Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio.

NASA on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, provided new Artemis III Mission details and announced the four prime crew members, including a backup for the test flight. The mission will undertake a series of tests in Earth orbit during 2027, essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the Moon's South Pole in 2028.

During Artemis III, the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) 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 (HLS) in development by Blue Origin and SpaceX. The crew will test hardware integration between the Orion spacecraft and the landers, including system interfaces, software, propulsion, and communications.

Artemis III Crew:

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, commander

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as a backup crew member. The crew will begin training immediately on Orion spacecraft systems, as well as assist in the development and operations of the test versions of Blue Origin and SpaceX landers.

This also is the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned an Artemis mission.

Engineers will connect the Orion crew module and service module this summer and integrate the spacecraft’s docking system that will fly for the first time. Heat shield testing continues with individual blocks having undergone ultra-sonic inspections and installation onto the heat shield structure.

Rocket processing also is well underway. Technicians for SLS are integrating the engine section to the rest of the core stage ahead of installing the four RS-25 engines this summer. Rocket stacking also is also scheduled to begin. Meanwhile, NASA continues design and fabrication of a spacer that will replace the upper stage on Artemis III.

Blue Origin is developing a crewed lunar version of the company’s Blue Moon lander, while SpaceX is developing a crewed lunar lander version of the company’s Starship, with both companies building test articles for Artemis III. NASA is supporting both lander providers hands-on throughout design, development, testing, and evaluation, including sharing agency expertise and capabilities gained from previous missions.

Blue Origin’s lander pathfinder, able to stay in orbit for multiple weeks, will launch first and await the crew. NASA will send the astronauts aboard Orion by SLS to orbit Earth, before rendezvousing in space with the company’s lander test article and spending about two days docked together for tests and technology demonstrations, including entering the lander.

After completing docked operations with Blue Origin, Orion will detach and await Starship. SpaceX’s Starship pathfinder will launch and meet up with Orion to spend about a day connected for checkouts and testing. After that, Orion and its crew will undock and return home, splashing safely down in the Pacific Ocean.

In total, the crew is expected to remain in space for about two weeks with exact mission length to be determined in real-time based on launch, rendezvous, and docked operations.

Learn more about the Artemis III crew members:

This will be the third mission to space for Bresnik, having launched aboard space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station in 2009. He later flew on the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the space station, serving as a flight engineer for the station’s Expedition 52 and commander of Expedition 53. A California native, he graduated from The Citadel with a degree in mathematics and was selected by NASA in the 2004 astronaut candidate class. A retired U.S. Marine colonel, he has logged more than 7,000 hours in 95 types of aircraft and is a fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Since 2018, he has served as assistant to the chief of the Astronaut Office for exploration, overseeing the development and testing of the spacecraft and systems that will operate during Artemis missions.

Artemis III also will be the third spaceflight for Parmitano. Selected by ESA as an astronaut in 2009, he first served as a flight engineer on the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) first long-duration mission to the space station, launching on a Soyuz from Baikonur in 2013. He returned to the orbital laboratory in 2019 aboard Soyuz MS-13 for his second mission, during which he served as commander of Expedition 61, becoming the third European, and the first Italian, to command the station. Parmitano earned a bachelor’s degree in political sciences from the University of Naples Federico II and a master’s degree in experimental flight test engineering from the Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace in Toulouse, France. A graduate of the Italian Air Force Academy, he became a test pilot in 2007 and was promoted to colonel in 2019. He has logged more than 2,000 flight hours across 40 types of aircraft.

Rubio is making his second trip to space. He launched aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from Baikonur to the space station on Sept. 21, 2022, and returned on Sept. 27, 2023, breaking the record for the longest single-duration spaceflight by an American astronaut with 371 days in orbit. Rubio was selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class. A Florida native, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1998, earned a doctor of medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2010, and has served for more than 28 years in the U.S. Army as an aviator, a physician, and an astronaut.

The mission is Douglas’ first spaceflight. Selected by NASA in the 2021 astronaut candidate class, he previously served as a backup and closeout crew member for the agency’s Artemis II mission. A Virginia native, Douglas earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and four postgraduate degrees from various institutions, including a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University. During his time in the Coast Guard, he conducted search and rescue, maritime salvage, and drug interdiction operations. Additionally, his time at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory involved designing and testing multidomain autonomous vehicles, space exploration systems, and numerous undersea warfare platforms.

Serving as a backup crew member, Hines will train alongside Bresnik, Parmitano, Rubio, and Douglas. Should a primary crew member be unable to participate in the mission, he would join the Artemis III crew. Hines previously served as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station. Selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class, he served as a research pilot at the agency’s Johnson Space Center prior to his selection. He is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force with more than 27 years of service as an instructor pilot, fighter pilot, and test pilot.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford

Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #RandyBresnik #FrankRubio #AndreDouglas #LucaParmitano #Italy #Italia #Europe #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Artemis III Mission Pilot: European Space Agency Astronaut Luca Parmitano

NASA Artemis III Mission Pilot: European Space Agency Astronaut Luca Parmitano

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano is assigned to serve as pilot of NASA’s Artemis III Mission. ESA will also support the Orion III Mission with the European Service Module (ESM). NASA's Artemis III Mission will test critical operations preparing for a return to the Moon's surface. The key objective of the Artemis III Mission is to test rendezvous and docking capabilities ahead of future lunar landing missions.

The crew of Artemis III mission will include, NASA astronaut and commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano of ESA, and NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas as lander specialists. NASA astronaut Bob Hines was also assigned as a backup crew member. The crew will now begin a rigorous training schedule to learn the Orion spacecraft systems, as well as the operations of the human landing systems (HLS), to prepare for an ambitious series of demonstrations ahead of a Moon landing mission.

Luca Parmitano is an ESA astronaut from Italy. He spent 366 days in space across two long-duration missions to the International Space Station, Volare and Beyond. During these missions, he supported hundreds of experiments, performed six spacewalks totalling more than 30 hours and became commander the Station. Since returning to Earth, he has served as ESA’s liaison at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, acting as CAPCOM and training ESA astronauts for spacewalks and robotic operations. Last year, Luca participated in NASA’s Underway Recovery Test 12 off the coast of California to simulate the splashdown and recovery of Artemis astronauts from a full-scale mock-up of the Orion spacecraft.

Before joining the European astronaut corps, Luca was selected in 2007 by the Italian Air Force to become a test pilot. He trained as an Experimental Test Pilot at EPNER, the French test pilot school in Istres. Luca was promoted to the role of Colonel in the Italian Air Force ahead of his Beyond mission in 2019. He has logged more than 2000 hours flying time, is qualified on more than 20 types of military airplanes and helicopters and has flown over 40 types of aircraft. His technical skills as test pilot will be put to the test once again during the Artemis III mission.

Luca Parmitano: “I am honored to be part of this crew, and humbled at the same time: my crew mates bring a wealth of different experiences, and I’m looking forward to working with them, eager to learn and to contribute as much as I can in my role. As a test pilot, this is truly a dream mission, as we’ll be able to help testing systems and developing procedures so that future crews may go further and ultimately take humanity back to the Moon” said Luca Parmitano, ESA astronaut. “I am very grateful to the Italian Air Force for providing me with training in my early stages; to the Italian Space Agency -and Italy as a whole- for trusting me with their very first long duration flight when I was just a rookie; and to the European Space Agency for the training, endless support and amazing opportunities I have had since I became an ESA astronaut, and to NASA for its leadership in returning humanity to the Moon. It’s the confirmation that ESA is a reliable partner, and the continuation of a strong partnership with NASA that will take a European to the Moon.” 

“Europe will play not only one but two decisive roles in this upcoming Artemis mission,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration. “ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, in his piloting seat, will be responsible for the complex spacecraft maneouvering, alongside the NASA commander, which the mission will require. The European industry will also be onboard with him thanks to our European Service Module with contributions from across 13 ESA Member States, involving 20 main contractors and over 100 suppliers.”

ESA’s European Service Module supports NASA’s Orion spacecraft for Artemis missions to the Moon by providing power, propulsion, thermal control, air and water for the four astronauts on board. Built by European industry led by ESA, the module’s structure is produced by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, before final assembly by prime contractor Airbus in Bremen, Germany. The first two European Service Modules successfully powered the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022 and the crewed Artemis II mission earlier this year.

As announced by NASA, Artemis III is now planned as a crewed test flight in Earth orbit to demonstrate systems and operations required for future lunar landing missions planned from Artemis IV onwards. Following launch aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, the European Service Module’s engines will be used to perform key propulsion maneuvers, as well as supporting proximity operations and docking demonstrations with lunar landing system pathfinders.

The third European Service Module is currently undergoing testing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The module recently completed acoustic testing and will soon be connected to the Orion crew module, forming the integrated spacecraft. The four European-built solar arrays will then be installed before Orion continues its test and integration campaign ahead of launch next year.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Duration: 4 minutes
Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #LucaParmitano #Italy #Italia #Europe #RandyBresnik #FrankRubio #AndreDouglas #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis III Mission Pilot: European Space Agency Astronaut Luca Parmitano

NASA Artemis III Mission Pilot: European Space Agency Astronaut Luca Parmitano

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano is assigned to serve as pilot of NASA’s Artemis III Mission. ESA will also support the Orion III Mission with the European Service Module (ESM). NASA's Artemis III Mission will test critical operations preparing for a return to the Moon's surface. The key objective of the Artemis III Mission is to test rendezvous and docking capabilities ahead of future lunar landing missions.

The crew of Artemis III mission will include, NASA astronaut and commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano of ESA, and NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas as lander specialists. NASA astronaut Bob Hines was also assigned as a backup crew member. The crew will now begin a rigorous training schedule to learn the Orion spacecraft systems, as well as the operations of the human landing systems (HLS), to prepare for an ambitious series of demonstrations ahead of a Moon landing mission.

Luca Parmitano is an ESA astronaut from Italy. He spent 366 days in space across two long-duration missions to the International Space Station, Volare and Beyond. During these missions, he supported hundreds of experiments, performed six spacewalks totalling more than 30 hours and became commander the Station. Since returning to Earth, he has served as ESA’s liaison at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, acting as CAPCOM and training ESA astronauts for spacewalks and robotic operations. Last year, Luca participated in NASA’s Underway Recovery Test 12 off the coast of California to simulate the splashdown and recovery of Artemis astronauts from a full-scale mock-up of the Orion spacecraft.

Before joining the European astronaut corps, Luca was selected in 2007 by the Italian Air Force to become a test pilot. He trained as an Experimental Test Pilot at EPNER, the French test pilot school in Istres. Luca was promoted to the role of Colonel in the Italian Air Force ahead of his Beyond mission in 2019. He has logged more than 2000 hours flying time, is qualified on more than 20 types of military airplanes and helicopters and has flown over 40 types of aircraft. His technical skills as test pilot will be put to the test once again during the Artemis III mission.

Luca Parmitano: “I am honored to be part of this crew, and humbled at the same time: my crew mates bring a wealth of different experiences, and I’m looking forward to working with them, eager to learn and to contribute as much as I can in my role. As a test pilot, this is truly a dream mission, as we’ll be able to help testing systems and developing procedures so that future crews may go further and ultimately take humanity back to the Moon” said Luca Parmitano, ESA astronaut. “I am very grateful to the Italian Air Force for providing me with training in my early stages; to the Italian Space Agency -and Italy as a whole- for trusting me with their very first long duration flight when I was just a rookie; and to the European Space Agency for the training, endless support and amazing opportunities I have had since I became an ESA astronaut, and to NASA for its leadership in returning humanity to the Moon. It’s the confirmation that ESA is a reliable partner, and the continuation of a strong partnership with NASA that will take a European to the Moon.” 

“Europe will play not only one but two decisive roles in this upcoming Artemis mission,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration. “ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, in his piloting seat, will be responsible for the complex spacecraft maneouvering, alongside the NASA commander, which the mission will require. The European industry will also be onboard with him thanks to our European Service Module with contributions from across 13 ESA Member States, involving 20 main contractors and over 100 suppliers.”

ESA’s European Service Module supports NASA’s Orion spacecraft for Artemis missions to the Moon by providing power, propulsion, thermal control, air and water for the four astronauts on board. Built by European industry led by ESA, the module’s structure is produced by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, before final assembly by prime contractor Airbus in Bremen, Germany. The first two European Service Modules successfully powered the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022 and the crewed Artemis II mission earlier this year.

As announced by NASA, Artemis III is now planned as a crewed test flight in Earth orbit to demonstrate systems and operations required for future lunar landing missions planned from Artemis IV onwards. Following launch aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, the European Service Module’s engines will be used to perform key propulsion maneuvers, as well as supporting proximity operations and docking demonstrations with lunar landing system pathfinders.

The third European Service Module is currently undergoing testing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The module recently completed acoustic testing and will soon be connected to the Orion crew module, forming the integrated spacecraft. The four European-built solar arrays will then be installed before Orion continues its test and integration campaign ahead of launch next year.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #LucaParmitano #Italy #Italia #Europe #RandyBresnik #FrankRubio #AndreDouglas #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

A Tour of the Gum 10 & 11 Nebulae in Puppis on the VST's 15th Anniversary | ESO

A Tour of the Gum 10 & 11 Nebulae in Puppis on the VST's 15th Anniversary | ESO

This video visits the Gum 10 & 11 nebulae, two clouds of gas in our galaxy, imaged in great detail by the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory in Chile. 

Imagine for a moment you are lying back, gazing up at the red-orange celestial clouds in this picture. What shapes do you see? A chicken pecking seeds on the ground, the head of a dragon, or something else entirely?

These pareidolia-inducing clouds are a pair of nebulae—collections of dust and gas in interstellar space—called Gum 10 and Gum 11. Visible mostly from the southern hemisphere, they are part of a larger complex where stars are born. Gum 10 is the brightest cloud that occupies most of the image, whereas Gum 11 is the fainter, detached cloud to the bottom-left. Their bright glow comes from a special interaction between hydrogen and the hot massive stars in each nebula. These stars emit ultraviolet light. They have enough energy to tear electrons away from their atoms, forming ions. These electrons eventually recombine with hydrogen ions. This causes the emission of the specific shade of red light seen in this image. The black lines in the nebula come from dust that blocks the light behind it.

This image was taken with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST). We are celebrating the 15th anniversary of its first light today! The VST project was a joint venture between European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory (OAC), part of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). Today, the VST is solely managed by INAF and is hosted by ESO at its Paranal Observatory in Chile. The data behind this picture comes from a project called VPHAS+. It uses the VST to scan across the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, intended to better understand the lifecycle of stars.

Credit: ESO/VPHAS+ team

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Pareidolia #Nebulae #Gum10 #Gum11 #HIIRegions #EmissionNebulae #PuppisConstellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #VST #VST15thAnniversary #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Stellar Titans of Pismis 24 in Scorpius | ESO's La Silla Observatory

Stellar Titans of Pismis 24 in Scorpius | ESO's La Silla Observatory

Home to some of the largest stars ever discovered, the open stellar cluster Pismis 24 blazes from the core of NGC 6357, a nebula in the constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion). Several stars in the clusters weigh in at over 100 times the mass of the Sun, making them real monster stars. The strange shapes taken by the clouds are a result of the huge amount of blazing radiation emitted by these massive, hot stars. The gas and dust of the nebula hide huge baby stars in the nebula from telescopes observing in visible light, as well as adding to the hazy appearance of the image.

Distance from Earth: 8,000 light years

This image combines observations performed through three filters in visible light (B, V, R) with the 1.5-meter Danish telescope at the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile.

Credit: ESO/IDA/Danish 1.5 m/ R. Gendler, U.G. Jørgensen, J. Skottfelt, K. Harpsøe
Release Date: April 12, 2010

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #StarClusters #Pismis24 #ScorpiusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #DanishTelescope #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Don’t Miss the Meteor! | Kitt Peak National Observatory

Don’t Miss the Meteor! | Kitt Peak National Observatory

A blazing meteor pops into the sky above the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab. You can see an image of the sky without the meteor here. To the left is the dome of the WIYN 0.9-meter Telescope, and to the right is the WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope. The WIYN telescopes are part of a partnership between Indiana University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Pennsylvania State University, Princeton University, NSF NOIRLab, and NASA.

Meteors are normally visible in the sky for just a few seconds, so it takes skill and a bit of luck to capture one on camera. Events like meteors, also known as shooting stars, happen a lot closer to Earth than you might think. Meteors typically become visible to the naked eye about 75–120 km (47–75 miles) above Earth’s surface. They usually disintegrate as they travel through the atmosphere at altitudes of 50–95 km (31–59 miles). For reference, the drive to NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory from Tucson, Arizona, is about 90 km (55 miles) and takes a little over an hour. 

This image also captures the constellations Orion (the Hunter, right) and his ‘sidekick’ Canis Major (the Greater Dog, left). Three red emission nebulae of the Orion molecular cloud complex are vividly captured in this photo: The Orion Nebula below Orion’s belt, Barnard’s Loop around Orion’s lower half, and the Lambda Orionis Ring around his head. 

Petr Horálek, the photographer, is a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.

Learn more about Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO): https://kpno.noirlab.edu/

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava)
Release Date: June 3, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #OrionNebula #SolarSystem #Planets #Earth #Meteors #Cosmos #Universe #KPNO #KittPeakNationalObservatory #Arizona #NOIRLab #PetrHorálek #Astrophotographer #Astrophotography #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Noctilucent Clouds over Germany | Earth Science

Noctilucent Clouds over Germany | Earth Science

Photographer Andy Eichner: "Stunning first NLC Display of the Year here in central East Germany in the second part of the evening."

At high latitudes in the summer months, iridescent clouds form in a part of the atmosphere roughly 50 to 86 kilometers (30 to 54 miles) above the surface of our planet. Their high altitude allows them to reflect sunlight after the Sun has set. These are called noctilucent or polar mesospheric clouds, 

Noctilucent clouds (NLCs), or night shining clouds are tenuous cloud-like phenomena in the upper atmosphere. They consist of ice crystals and from the ground are only visible during astronomical twilight. Noctilucent roughly means "night shining" in Latin. They are most often observed during the summer months from latitudes between ±50° and ±70°. Too faint to be seen in daylight, they are visible only when the observer and the lower layers of the atmosphere are in Earth's shadow while these very high clouds are still in sunlight. Recent studies suggest that increased atmospheric methane emissions produce additional water vapor through chemical reactions once the methane molecules reach the mesosphere—creating, or reinforcing existing, noctilucent clouds.

Image Credit: Andy Eichner
Location: Meuselwitz, Thuringia, Germany
Andy's website: https://www.facebook.com/AnDymeuselwitz
Date: June 6, 2026 

#NASA #Space #Science #Sun #Planets #Earth #Weather #Meteorology #Atmosphere #WaterVapor #Clouds #IceCrystals #NoctilucentClouds #PolarMesosphericClouds #Photography #Photographer #AndyEichner #CitizenScience #Meuselwitz #Thuringia #Germany #Deutschland #STEM #Education

Nebulae Gum 10 & 11 in Puppis: Celebrating VST's 15th Anniversary | ESO

Nebulae Gum 10 & 11 in Puppis: Celebrating VST's 15th Anniversary | ESO

Imagine for a moment you are lying back, gazing up at the red-orange celestial clouds in this picture. What shapes do you see? A chicken pecking seeds on the ground, the head of a dragon, or something else entirely?

These pareidolia-inducing clouds are a pair of nebulae—collections of dust and gas in interstellar space—called Gum 10 and Gum 11. Visible mostly from the southern hemisphere, they are part of a larger complex where stars are born. Gum 10 is the brightest cloud that occupies most of the image, whereas Gum 11 is the fainter, detached cloud to the bottom-left. Their bright glow comes from a special interaction between hydrogen and the hot massive stars in each nebula. These stars emit ultraviolet light. They have enough energy to tear electrons away from their atoms, forming ions. These electrons eventually recombine with hydrogen ions. This causes the emission of the specific shade of red light seen in this image. The black lines in the nebula come from dust that blocks the light behind it.

This image was taken with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST). We are celebrating the 15th anniversary of its first light today! The VST project was a joint venture between European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory (OAC), part of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). Today, the VST is solely managed by INAF and is hosted by ESO at its Paranal Observatory in Chile. The data behind this picture comes from a project called VPHAS+. It uses the VST to scan across the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, intended to better understand the lifecycle of stars.

Image Description: Two orange-red, almost-circular clouds are featured in this image. The large one fills the center-right area of the frame, and the smaller is on the bottom-left. The clouds also have dark spots and lines running through them. Multiple large bright points of light are in the foreground, colored yellow, pink, or bluish purple. The entirety of the frame is also filled with smaller points of light dotted across a black background.

Credit: ESO/VPHAS+ team
Release Date: June 8, 2026

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Pareidolia #Nebulae #Gum10 #Gum11 #HIIRegions #EmissionNebulae #PuppisConstellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VST #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

How NASA Uses Artificial Intelligence Tools—From Earth to Mars

How NASA Uses Artificial Intelligence Tools—From Earth to Mars

Discover how NASA uses artificial intelligence (AI) to explore Mars, study natural disasters, and even search for planets beyond our solar system. From self-driving rovers to powerful data-crunching tools, AI is helping scientists make amazing discoveries every day.

Want to get involved in NASA's work using AI? 
Find out how you can get involved with the Are We Alone in the Universe citizen science project at http://arewealone.earth/!

We are engaging students in NASA’s exciting missions, broad range of careers, and unique opportunities. Join us as we apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to explore space, improve aeronautics, examine Earth, and strive to land the next humans on the Moon with the Artemis program.

NASA STEM resources: https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/

Video Credit: Learn With NASA
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: June 8, 2026

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