Houston, June 10 -- NASA on Tuesday provided new Artemis III details and announced the four prime crew members and a backup for the test flight.

The official statement highlighted that the mission will undertake a series of challenging tests in Earth orbit in 2027, essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the lunar South Pole in 2028.

As per the statement, the crew members include NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, commander; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot; NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, mission specialist; and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, mission specialist.

NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as a backup crew member.

According to the statement, the crew will begin training immediately on Ori...