Nasa announces all-male crew for Artemis III Moon mission, faces backlash

Several people argued that Artemis II had inspired a new generation of women interested in science and space exploration.

Nasa’s Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and Andrew Douglas, along with European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano, have been selected for the Artemis III mission. (Image: X/ Thomas Pesquet)

By: Science Desk

4 min readJun 10, 2026 06:16 PM IST First published on: Jun 10, 2026 at 05:24 PM IST

Nasa’s announcement of the four astronauts for Artemis III sparked online criticism after space enthusiasts noted that no women were chosen for the mission, despite the American space agency’s recent push for greater representation in human spaceflight.

Nasa’s Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and Andrew Douglas, along with European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano, have been selected for the Artemis III mission, a critical phase in the agency’s plans to return humans to the Moon.

Several users argued that Artemis II had inspired a new generation of women interested in science and space exploration. They also pointed to the presence of astronaut Christina Koch in the Artemis II mission, who became the first woman to orbit the Moon.

“I’m kinda mind-blown that there’s no woman on the artemis III crew bro, you as nasa saw so many people hyping up christina going to the moon because it means a lot to people that a woman is doing things that are inspiring, and cool, and you just went ‘nahhh no thanks’,” a user wrote on X.

Also Read | NASA unveils Artemis III astronauts to test technology for future moon landing

They argued that an all-male crew for Artemis III sends the wrong message at a time when space agencies are working to improve diversity and representation in astronaut selection.

Introducing Artemis III.

Four astronauts. Three launches. Two dockings. One splashdown.

In 2027, the Artemis III mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit — the capability we need to return humanity to the Moon’s surface. pic.twitter.com/8uhMUxuuWX

— NASA (@NASA) June 9, 2026

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“The people who aren’t upset about there being no women on artemis iii don’t understand what it means to see someone who looks like you accomplishing something so special especially after being put down for centuries,” said another.

Responding to the criticism, Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman said people should not read too much into the crew composition. Isaacman said Nasa selected the astronauts it believed were best suited to accomplish the mission’s objectives and emphasised that the decision was based on operational requirements rather than gender.

Also Read | Who will fly on Artemis 3? Nasa set to reveal crew for next major moon mission

The crew includes some of Nasa’s most experienced astronauts. Bresnik has previously flown both the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS), while Rubio holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by an American, having spent 371 consecutive days in orbit. Parmitano is one of Europe’s most experienced astronauts, having completed multiple missions and spacewalks. Douglas, selected by Nasa in 2021, will be making his first trip to space.

The Artemis III mission will launch aboard Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Once in orbit, the Orion spacecraft will perform rendezvous and docking tests with lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.

The mission will involve a complex series of orbital manoeuvres and technology demonstrations designed to validate systems that will eventually carry astronauts back to the lunar surface. Orion will first dock with a Blue Origin lander for testing before conducting additional evaluations with a SpaceX Starship vehicle.