India, June 10 -- NASA has officially announced the four astronauts selected for the Artemis III mission, marking the next major phase in the agency's long-term lunar exploration program. The crew was unveiled during a June 9 press conference following the success of Artemis II, the mission that sent astronauts around the moon earlier this year for the first time since 1972.

The Artemis III mission is currently scheduled for 2027 and will focus on testing systems needed for future moon landings.

NASA confirmed that the Artemis III crew includes commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano, mission specialist Frank Rubio and mission specialist Andre Douglas.

Bresnik is a veteran NASA astronaut, former International Space Station comman...