Kentucky-born NASA astronaut named Artemis III crew member

KENTUCKY – A Kentucky-born NASA astronaut has been named an Artemis III crew member for a 2027 mission, according to NASA.

According to a release by NASA on Tuesday, NASA astronaut Randy “Komrade” Bresnik will be assigned as the commander. The other three crew members will include (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano as the pilot, NASA astronaut Andre Douglas as a mission specialist and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio as a mission specialist, the release states.

In addition, the release states NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as a backup crew member.

Bresnik was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky, according to NASA. The release says he considers Santa Monica, California to be his hometown.

NASA further stated the mission will take on tests in Earth orbit in 2027, “essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the lunar South Pole in 2028.”

According to NASA, the crew will start 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.

To learn further details about the mission, click here.

To learn more about Bresnik, click here.