Artemis III Crew All Men, NASA Spotlighted Even Though the Mission Has Not Landed on the Moon
NASA has come under fire after announcing the Artemis III crew without a single female astronaut. This mission is not a human landing on the Moon, but a test flight in Earth orbit to prepare for the next landing mission.
NBC News reported Thursday, June 11, that the four astronauts selected were Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency. The mission is scheduled to launch as early as summer 2027.
The absence of women immediately triggered a strong reaction. Alexandra Doten, an activist on space issues known as Astro Alexandra, wrote on X that the decision was "crazy".
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman responded to the criticism on Wednesday.
"I've seen a range of reactions, from disappointment to anger," Isaacman said, quoted by NBC News.
According to Isaacman, the selection of the crew is based on the needs of the mission. NASA considers experience, expertise, involvement in certain programs, and astronaut availability.
"The Astronaut Office determines the crew that provides the best opportunity for the mission to achieve its objectives," Isaacman said.
Artemis III will test two private companies' Moon landing vehicles, namely SpaceX and Blue Origin. Testing is carried out in Earth orbit for about two weeks.
This test is important because the vehicle is designed to carry astronauts to the Moon's surface in the Artemis IV mission in 2028.
On Artemis IV, one of the landing vehicles will meet the Orion capsule in lunar orbit. After that, the vehicle takes the astronauts down to the lunar surface, then back to Orion for the return trip to Earth.
This controversy arose because since 2023 NASA has promised to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon through the Artemis program. However, according to NBC News, the sentence was later removed from some NASA websites last year.
Isaacman emphasized that the NASA crew selection process "does not involve appointed political officials". The statement came amid questions about whether the Donald Trump administration influenced the decision.
NASA actually doesn't lack female astronauts. Of the 37 active astronauts who are eligible to fly, 15 are women. In the latest class of 10 astronaut candidates, women are even the majority for the first time.
Jasmine Singh, a doctoral student in astronomy known as @astro_jaz on X, called the all-male Artemis III crew a "huge blow" to those inspired by NASA astronaut Christina Koch on Artemis II.
For Artemis III, Bresnik will be the mission commander. Parmitano is in charge as a pilot. Douglas and Rubio are mission specialists. NASA astronaut Bob Hines will train with the crew as a backup member.