ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano joins NASA’s Artemis III mission as pilot

NASA announced the crew of Artemis III mission which 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, to prepare for an ambitious series of demonstrations ahead of a Moon landing mission.

Luca Parmitano is an ESA astronaut from Italy who has 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.

“Artemis III will push the boundaries of spacecraft operations in orbit. ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano’s assignment as pilot reflects the depth of European expertise in human spaceflight and draws on his extensive operational experience in high-pressure situations,” said Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s Director General. “At the same time, ESA’s European Service Module (ESM) will once again provide the critical capabilities that power Orion, demonstrating Europe’s enduring role at the very heart of the Artemis programme. The news out of Houston today is a powerful recognition of ESA’s role in enabling humankind’s return to the Moon – and a key advancement in our partnership with NASA. Europeans can take pride in being part of this exciting journey.”

“Today we take another bold step in humanity’s return to the Moon, building on the extraordinary foundation laid by the Artemis II astronauts,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Their achievements reignited global excitement for exploration, and now they pass the torch to the Artemis III team, Randy, Luca, Frank, and Andre. Artemis III will demonstrate the power of American innovation and international partnership as we test complex rendezvous and docking operations and advance the technologies that will one day carry us deeper into the solar system. This mission will require the most awe-inspiring coordination of heavy-lift rocket launches in history, drawing on the talent and capability of teams across government and the spaceflight community. The Artemis III astronauts, alongside ESA and our international partners, and the tens of thousands of the best and brightest across the agency and industry, are ushering in a new Golden Age of exploration carrying forward the hopes and dreams of the next generation just as the Apollo astronauts did for so many of us.” 

“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 is the powerhouse of NASA’s Orion spacecraft for Artemis missions to the Moon, 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 maneouvres, 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, USA. The module departed Bremen in August 2024 aboard the Canopée transport vessel. After arrival in the United States, the module was integrated with the crew module adapter, and ESA officially handed the service module over to NASA in September 2025. 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.