Who will fly Artemis III? NASA to reveal astronaut crew for moon mission–How to watch live

NASA is set to reveal astronaut crew for the historic Artemis III moon mission, considering it one of history’s most complex missions.

Artemis III lunar mission will launch four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft using the Space Launch System rocket. It follows the successfully crewed lunar flyby under Artemis II that took place in early April 2026.

The primary goal is to test and critically assess rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial human landing systems (HLS) in Earth orbit, paving the way towards crewed lunar landings in future.

The HLS will specifically be based on SpaceX’s Starship HLS and/or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander.

As per official website, the space agency will announce the names of astronauts assigned to the Artemis III flight and give an official mission update on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 11 a.m. EDT.

The event occurring at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, will be streamed live on NASA+ and its YouTube channel.

In the series of lunar missions, Artemis III is a significant part of the “Golden Age” of exploration, aiming to build human presence on the lunar surface and prepare for crewed Mars missions.

Under this high-stakes mission, the crewed test flight in low Earth orbit is set to be targeted for late 2027.

The success of Artemis III will lead to Artemis IV, where the first crewed lunar surface landing since 1972 will be planned in early 2028. Subsequently, in late 2028, the idea of establishing a lunar base will be launched in the Artemis V mission.