Italian astronaut to travel on next Artemis III mission

The unveiling of the four new astronauts on Tuesday came two months after the successful lunar mission Artemis II. Artemis III is scheduled to launch in 2027 and is part of the Artemis program's goal of returning humans to the Moon.

But on the next mission, the Orion spacecraft's capacity will be tested, and dockings with commercial lunar landers may be carried out.

Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, of the European Space Agency (ESA), expressed joy at representing Europe in the American venture.