NASA announced this Tuesday the crew of the Artemis III mission, which is expected to take off at the end of 2027. Among the four selected astronauts is Andre Douglas, a mission specialist who grew up in Chesapeake, in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia.
Douglas, who will make his first trip to space, served as a reserve crew member on Artemis II, the manned test flight that circled the Moon in 2024. The experience now prepares him for a central role in the next stage of the Artemis program.
The Artemis III mission will not land on the Moon. Instead, astronauts will conduct a series of tests in low Earth orbit with prototype lunar landing modules developed by commercial companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. The main objective is to validate rendezvous, docking and transfer operations between the Orion capsule and these vehicles.
These tests are considered essential to reduce risks before Artemis IV, scheduled to take the first astronauts to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972. Artemis III functions as a general rehearsal in an orbital environment, similar to what Apollo 9 did in the past to prepare the lunar module.
Who is Andrew Douglas
Born in Miami in 1985, Douglas graduated from Western Branch High School in Chesapeake in 2004. He has an extensive education: a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, master’s degrees from the University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins, and a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University.
Before becoming an astronaut in 2022, he worked as an engineer at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, focusing on maritime robotics, planetary defense, and space exploration missions. Douglas also served as an officer in the Coast Guard Reserve.
The other crew members
The commander is veteran Randy Bresnik. The pilot is European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano. The other mission specialist is Colonel Frank Rubio, who holds the American record for longest stay on a single mission on the International Space Station. A backup, Bob Hines, was also assigned to train with the group.
What the mission represents
The choice of a crew with extensive experience, except for newcomer Douglas, reflects the complexity of the tests. Astronauts will simulate transfers, check life support systems and evaluate new spacesuits under real flight conditions. This data will directly inform the lunar landing operations of the following mission.
For the Hampton Roads region, Douglas’ selection represents a local milestone. He is the first astronaut from the area to join an Artemis crew, connecting the commonwealth of Virginia to the national effort to return to the Moon.