--- title: "Retired Marine colonel to lead NASA’s Artemis III mission" description: "NASA has announced the four crew members and their backup for the Artemis III mission, which will launch next year." date: "2026-06-11" modified: "2026-06-11" authors: - name: "Stephen Ruiz" job_title: "Editor, Writer" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/stephen/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/military-news/retired-marine-colonel-to-lead-nasas-artemis-iii-mission/" categories: - "History" - "Marine Corps" - "Military News" tags: - "Famous Veterans" - "Marine Corps" - "NASA" - "News" --- # Retired Marine colonel to lead NASA’s Artemis III mission ![Artemis III crew]() *The Artemis III crew will be (from left) mission specialist Andre Douglas, pilot Luca Parmitano, commander Randy Bresnik, and mission specialist Frank Rubio. (NASA)* After Randy Bresnik flew combat missions in Kuwait as part of [Operation Iraqi Freedom](), he contemplated his next career move. He recalled a friend who became an astronaut. Knowing someone who made that jump gave Bresnik a bit of confidence. He applied to NASA in 2004, fully understanding the chances of his selection were slim. **Also Read:** [**The Artemis II mission mirrors the military life we already live**]() “I thought, ‘Wow! If they’ll select him, maybe they’ll select me,’” Bresnik [told the Army in 2018](). “The odds are so small. There were guys applying for the 2004 class that were, I thought, more experienced, but you never know what NASA’s looking for. You go with who you are [and] what you’ve done.” NASA called Bresnik’s name, and for the past two-plus decades, his path in the space agency trended upward. On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, NASA announced Bresnik, a retired U.S. [Marine Corps]() colonel, will command the Artemis III mission next year. Pilot Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency and NASA astronauts [Frank Rubio]() and [Andre Douglas](), both mission specialists, will join Bresnik on Artemis III. [Air Force]() Col. [Bob Hines]() will be the backup crew member. ### Success of Artemis II ![Artemis II rocket]() *The Artemis II rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, 2026, as Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region fighters supported the mission by securing the airspace overhead during the launch. (U.S. Air Force)* The Artemis III crew will follow on the heels of what Artemis II accomplished. In April, retired Navy Capt. Reid Wiseman commanded a mission that also included pilot [Victor Glover]() (a captain in the Navy), and mission specialists [Christina Koch]() and Jeremy Hansen. During its 10-day journey, Artemis II went to the [other side of the moon]() and set a record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth. “Today we take another bold step in humanity’s return to the Moon, building on the extraordinary foundation laid by the Artemis II astronauts,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said [in a NASA news release](). “Their achievements reignited global excitement for exploration.” The Artemis III astronauts are tentatively expected to be in space for about two weeks. Their mission will begin when they board an Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A rocket will propel them to low Earth orbit, where they will rendezvous with Blue Origin’s lander pathfinder. They will devote two days or so together for tests and demonstrations, including the four astronauts going into the lander, [NASA disclosed](). After the two spacecraft detach, Orion will next hook up with SpaceX’s Starship pathfinder for a day of testing. Then the Orion capsule will return to Earth. Like what happened with Artemis II, the Artemis III astronauts will come down in the Pacific Ocean. Navy and NASA personnel will retrieve them there. While Elon Musk owns SpaceX, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos founded Blue Origin. ### More About the Crew ![NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik]() *Retired Marine Corps Col. Randy Bresnik is scheduled to go into space for the 3rd time on the Artemis III mission. (U.S. Army)* Artemis III will represent Bresnik’s third time in space. Bresnik, 58, first traveled to space aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 2009. Eight years later, he went to the International Space Station. Bresnik joined NASA in 2004. Rubio, 50, is no stranger to space, either. On his previous trip, the [Army]() colonel set a record for the [longest, uninterrupted spaceflight]() for an American astronaut. Rubio spent 371 consecutive days at the ISS in 2022 and 2023. An astronaut since 2021, Douglas, 40, will head into space for the first time when Artemis III launches. He is a Coast Guard Academy graduate and only [the third Coast Guardsman ever]() to become an astronaut. Bruce Melnick and Daniel Burbank are the others. With Tuesday’s announcement, the work is just starting for Bresnik, Parmitano, Rubio, and Douglas. “The Artemis III astronauts… are ushering in a new Golden Age of exploration carrying the hopes and dreams of the next generation just as the Apollo astronauts did for so many of us,” [Isaacman proclaimed](). ### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty ##### **• [The Artemis II crew made an 80s sitcom video as they flew to the moon]()** ##### **• [How this Air Force spy plane traveled from coast to coast in record time]()** ##### **• [That time Neil Armstrong survived ejecting from his fighter jet in Korea]()** ## Author Stephen Ruiz is an editor and writer at We Are The Mighty. His writing revolves mostly around military history and sports stories, but it can branch into other areas. Stephen has more than 35 years of journalism experience. His career began with stints at The Ledger newspaper in Lakeland, Florida, and The Kansas City Star in Missouri, but most of his time was spent on the copy desk at the Orlando Sentinel. After accepting a buyout from the Sentinel in 2020, Stephen worked at Military.com for 4½ years as a content editor and writer. He joined the We Are The Mighty staff in December 2025. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()