On the heels of the successful Artemis II mission to orbit the moon, NASA is set to announce the next group of astronauts to comprise the crew of the Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2027.
Four astronauts will follow in the footsteps of Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, who went deeper into space than any humans in history during the Artemis II mission in April.
They entered the moon’s orbit during their historic 10-day mission, becoming the first humans since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 to travel toward the moon.
“What an extraordinary experience as human beings, the things we saw,” Hansen said on TODAY April 30.
Now, the next group of astronauts is ready for their time in the spotlight, with a mission aimed not toward the moon, but within Earth’s orbit.
Here’s what to know about the crew and the Artemis III mission.
When Will NASA Announce the Artemis III Crew?
The announcement is planned for 11:30 a.m. ET on June 9, according to NASA.
What Is Planned for the Artemis III Mission?
Artemis III will not head to the moon. It instead will orbit Earth and practice docking maneuvers using landers for future moon landings.
NASA is counting on the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX and Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin to build the lunar landers that will take astronauts to the surface of the moon on future missions.
The systems need to be test flown by humans in preparation for future use on the moon.
SpaceX had a successful test flight of its starship booster in May, but an engine issue led to the Federal Aviation Administration putting SpaceX launches on hold pending an investigation, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, a giant rocket meant to carry Blue Origin’s lunar lander into space blew up into a fireball on May 28 during a ground test on the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Bezos wrote on X on June 4 that the Blue Origin rocket still has “a solid path forward to launch this year.”
However, the delay before the booster returns to flight could also cause a delay of the Artemis III mission, which NASA wants to fly in 2027.
What Are NASA’s Plans After the Artemis III Mission?
NASA has set a goal to land humans on the moon in 2028 during the Artemis IV mission.
It also has unveiled a blueprint for establishing a permanent base on the surface of the moon powered by solar and nuclear energy.
NASA envisions a city-sized base on the lunar surface. Carlos García-Galán, NASA’s program executive for the moon base, said at a press conference in May that the agency envisions it to be “hundreds of square miles” in size.
NASA aims to build out the base in three phases, starting with the robotics landing on the moon in 2026. NASA is aiming for exploration of the lunar surface and construction of the base to begin in 2029 during the Artemis V mission, with the goal of the first astronauts living and working there in 2032.