The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has named the crew for the Artemis III mission, planned for 2027. This mission will focus on important docking and systems tests in low Earth orbit.

美國國家航空暨太空總署 (NASA) 已公布計劃於 2027 年進行的 Artemis III 任務機組員名單。此次任務將重點在近地軌道進行重要的對接與系統測試。

The crew includes Commander Randy Bresnik, Pilot Luca Parmitano from the European Space Agency (ESA), and Mission Specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas, with Bob Hines as the backup. This is the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned to an Artemis mission. The team will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with lunar lander prototypes created by SpaceX and Blue Origin. These tests are designed to reduce risks and check if the hardware, software, and life-support systems—including new Axiom Space suits—work correctly.

機組員包括指揮官 Randy Bresnik、來自歐洲太空總署 (ESA) 的飛行員 Luca Parmitano，以及任務專家 Frank Rubio 和 Andre Douglas，並由 Bob Hines 擔任後備。這是首次有 ESA 太空人被指派參與 Artemis 任務。團隊將練習將 Orion 太空船與 SpaceX 和 Blue Origin 研發的月球登陸器原型進行對接。這些測試旨在降低風險，並檢查硬體、軟體及生命維持系統（包括新款 Axiom Space 太空衣）是否運作正常。

Originally, Artemis III was meant to be a lunar landing. However, NASA changed the mission to an orbital rehearsal because of technical delays with SpaceX Starship's refueling capabilities. This change ensures that the coordination needed for the Artemis IV mission, which aims for a 2028 landing on the lunar south pole, is tested in a safe environment. The long-term goal is to build a permanent lunar base by the mid-2030s to prepare for future missions to Mars.

原先 Artemis III 旨在實現月球登陸。然而，由於 SpaceX Starship 的補油能力出現技術延遲，NASA 將該任務更改為軌道演習。此項變更可確保針對 Artemis IV 任務（目標於 2028 年登陸月球南極）所需的協調工作，能在安全環境中進行測試。長期目標是在 2030 年代中期建立一座永久性月球基地，為未來前往火星的任務做準備。

Despite this progress, NASA faces some serious infrastructure problems. A recent accident involving a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket caused heavy damage to the company's only launch pad at Cape Canaveral. While NASA and Blue Origin claim the 2027 date is still possible, some experts doubt this schedule because the facility must be completely rebuilt. Furthermore, the US is competing with China, as the China Manned Space Agency also plans to land humans on the moon by 2030.

儘管有所進展，但 NASA 面臨一些嚴重的基礎設施問題。近期一次涉及 Blue Origin New Glenn 火箭的意外，導致該公司在卡納維拉角的唯一一座發射台嚴重受損。雖然 NASA 與 Blue Origin 聲稱 2027 年的日期仍有可能實現，但部分專家對此時程表示懷疑，因為該設施必須完全重建。此外，美國正與中國競爭，因為中國載人航天工程亦計劃在 2030 年前將人類送上月球。

The Artemis III mission is a vital preparation step for the 2028 lunar landing, provided that the launch facilities are repaired and the landing technology is fully developed.

只要發射設施得到修復且登陸技術充分發展，Artemis III 任務將是 2028 年月球登陸的關鍵準備步驟。