NASA to Announce Artemis 3 Crew on June 9
Summary: NASA will officially reveal the Artemis 3 crew on June 9, 2026. Artemis 3 is the first Artemis mission targeting a crewed lunar surface landing, planned for mid-to-late 2027. SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon spacecraft are competing for the Human Landing System (HLS) contract.
Artemis 3: From Orbiting to Landing
Artemis 3 marks a critical step for the Artemis program — moving from the lunar flyby of Artemis 2 to an actual surface landing. NASA has contracted both SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop Human Landing Systems, but has not yet decided which vehicle will fly the first landing mission. The agency has indicated a willingness to fly Artemis 3 with either or both vehicles, should one not be ready in time.
The mission's goals focus more on spacecraft piloting and operations than on lunar surface exploration, which influences crew selection criteria.
Candidate Analysis
The Artemis 2 crew (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen) completed their lunar flyby in April 2026 and are unlikely to receive back-to-back assignments. Key candidates discussed in the space community include:
NASA Artemis Astronaut Cadre:
- Jonny Kim — 2017 astronaut class, 8 months on ISS, Navy SEAL/pilot/physician background
- Anne McClain — Crew-10 commander (2025), 350 cumulative days on orbit, two EVAs
- Nicole Mann — Crew-5 commander (2022), two EVAs, 2013 astronaut class
- Kayla Barron — Crew-3 crew member, two EVAs, Artemis operations concept development
- Raja Chari — Crew-3 commander (2022), leads HLS astronaut development and testing
- Jasmin Moghbeli — Crew-7 commander, aerospace engineering and test pilot background, HLS development
Non-cadre frontrunner:
- Andre Douglas — Served as Artemis 2 backup crew member, trained alongside the prime crew through launch day; widely considered a strong contender
ESA candidates:
- Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy) — Crew Dragon, ISS, and EVA experience
- Matthias Maurer and Alexander Gerst (Germany) — Germany is ESA's largest financial contributor; ESA has previously stated a German will fly as Europe's first Artemis astronaut
- ESA builds the Orion service module, making it NASA's most significant international Artemis partner
If NASA includes an international crew member, ESA has the strongest claim. If all four seats go to NASA astronauts, the cadre members listed above are the primary contenders.