NASA reveals astronauts heading out on ‘complex’ next mission — and two have ties to California

Two astronauts with California ties are bound for the moon in 2028, after NASA unveiled the crew that will undertake a key mission in its effort to return humans to lunar orbit.

On Tuesday, the space agency named the four selected for its Artemis III mission, the next major step in NASA’s long-term moon program.

Veteran Randolph Bresnik, known as “Komrade,” and fellow NASA astronaut Frank Rubio — both of whom have connections to California — will join Andre Douglas and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency on the mission.

The crew is scheduled to launch aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft and spend roughly three weeks in orbit around Earth.

During the flight, astronauts will conduct a series of rendezvous and docking exercises with commercial lunar landers, testing systems that NASA says will be needed for future moon-landing missions.

The mission has been described by agency officials as one of the most technically challenging flights yet in the Artemis program because it will require astronauts to repeatedly maneuver and dock spacecraft in orbit before NASA attempts to send crews back to the lunar surface later in the decade.

For California, the announcement highlights the Golden State’s continued role in the US space program.

Although Bresnik was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky, NASA’s biography notes that he considers Santa Monica his hometown. He graduated from Santa Monica High School before earning a mathematics degree from The Citadel and later a master’s degree in aviation systems.

According to NASA, Bresnik has accumulated more than 7,000 flight hours across 95 different aircraft, rotorcraft and gliders, in addition to roughly 3,600 hours in space.

Rubio also has California roots. While the astronaut considers Miami, Florida his hometown, NASA says he was born in Los Angeles.

Rubio later graduated from Miami Sunset Senior High School, earned a degree in international relations from the United States Military Academy at West Point and received a medical degree before joining NASA.

The crew also includes Douglas, a former Coast Guard officer and engineer selected as part of NASA’s 2021 astronaut class. Before joining the space program, he worked on maritime robotics, planetary defense and space exploration projects.

Parmitano, meanwhile, brings international experience to the mission. The Italian astronaut, who considers Catania his hometown, has previously completed long-duration stays aboard the International Space Station and will represent the European Space Agency on the flight.

NASA officials say the mission will help validate critical technologies and procedures needed before astronauts once again attempt to land on the moon, a milestone the agency hopes will pave the way for future missions deeper into space.

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