A veteran Italian test pilot will help lead America’s next trip toward the Moon under President Trump’s second term, and he will also quietly mark a major first for Europe inside NASA’s Artemis program.
Story Snapshot
- Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano has been named **pilot** of NASA’s Artemis III mission, becoming the first European assigned to fly on an Artemis crewed flight.[1][2][3]
- Artemis III will fly four astronauts on the Orion spacecraft toward the Moon in a mission targeted for late 2027, using the Space Launch System “mega Moon rocket.”[1][2][3]
- NASA and the European Space Agency say the mission will test key systems for future Moon landings and deepen U.S.–European space cooperation under the Artemis program.[2][3]
- Europe’s growing role shows how U.S. leadership in space can work with allies while still keeping American control of mission goals and technology.[2][3]
Trump-Era Artemis III Puts Italian Pilot in the Right Seat
NASA and the European Space Agency have now confirmed that Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano will serve as the **pilot** of Artemis III, the next crewed flight in the Artemis program and the second time Orion flies with astronauts on board.[1][2][3] Artemis III is planned as a four-person mission that will ride NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket and the Orion capsule toward the Moon in late 2027.[1][2][3] This assignment makes Parmitano the first European ever placed on an Artemis crew.[1]
NASA’s own Artemis III materials describe the mission as a key test of systems needed for later lunar landings, including operations in low Earth orbit and beyond.[3] The European Space Agency explains that the Space Launch System will send Orion and its European-built service module on a multi-week trip, including a swing out to near the Moon using a translunar injection burn, a lunar flyby, and arrival in a special halo orbit.[2] These steps are laid out as part of a detailed “Artemis III step by step” mission plan.[2]
How Luca Parmitano Became the First European on an Artemis Crew
The European Space Agency’s Artemis III page lists “Luca Parmitano, Thomas Pesquet, Marco Sieber” in connection with Orion and Artemis activities, showing how European astronauts are being woven into the program.[2] Separate reporting explains that, in 2022, the European Space Agency picked seven veteran astronauts as candidates for future Artemis flights, with Parmitano one of the leading names considered for such a role.[3] NASA’s wider Artemis crew overviews also show how it builds mixed teams drawn from its own corps and trusted partners.
Luca Parmitano is already a well-known figure in human spaceflight, with experience that fits what NASA wants in a test mission pilot. He is a colonel and test pilot in the Italian Air Force and was selected as a European Space Agency astronaut in 2009, later becoming the first Italian to command the International Space Station during an earlier long mission in orbit. That mix of test pilot skills and station leadership helps explain why he was tapped to help fly Orion on this higher-risk deep space flight.
What Artemis III Will Do and Why It Matters for U.S. Leadership
NASA’s Artemis III page says the mission will focus on a series of objectives in low Earth orbit to show that critical systems work before future landings.[3] The European Space Agency adds more detail, saying the mission flow includes launch from Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39B in Florida, a final checkout in low Earth orbit, then a push toward the Moon for a three to four week flight.[2] During the trip, Orion will dock with SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System in a special orbit near the Moon, proving out docking and transfer operations.[2]
NASA has announced the four astronauts selected for Artemis III:
Randy Bresnik (Commander)
Luca Parmitano (Pilot)
Frank Rubio (Mission Specialist)
Andre Douglas (Mission Specialist)The crew will simulate future moon landing procedures in low Earth orbit. pic.twitter.com/eYPZH42Zpy
— Valuetainment (@valuetainment) June 9, 2026
European hardware is not a side note here; the Orion spacecraft relies on a European Service Module that carries propellant, water, air, and power for the crew module.[2] Artemis III numbers from the European Space Agency show about 13,500 kilograms of launch mass for that service module, over 8,600 kilograms of propellant, and key life-support supplies such as water, nitrogen, and oxygen for the crew.[2] That level of technical buy-in gives Europe a real stake while the United States still leads the overall mission.[2][3]
Sources:
[1] Web – Italian Luca Parmitano will be first European to join an Artemis …
[2] Web – Is this the next Artemis crew? A look at the astronauts on NASA’s …
[3] Web – ESA – Artemis III – European Space Agency
