Pasadena, CA (June 9, 2026) — The Planetary Society, the world’s largest independent space interest organization, issued the following statement in response to NASA’s announcement of the crew for Artemis III:

We congratulate NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano on their selection as crew of the upcoming Artemis III mission. These four brave individuals represent the next step in advancing humanity’s presence in deep space.

Artemis is a testament to what’s possible when America works closely with its allies in pursuit of exploration and discovery. Every Orion spacecraft relies on the European-built service module for propulsion and life support, operational support, technical expertise, and telecommunications infrastructure. Peaceful collaboration is one of the great “spin offs” of NASA’s ongoing science and human exploration efforts, and we are pleased to see this reflected once again in this crew selection.

However, despite the demonstrable success of Artemis and dozens of scientific projects, NASA faces the second-largest budget cut in its history. The proposed 24% cut would terminate more than a dozen NASA partnerships with American allies in Europe and Japan, including a joint-effort to land a new scientific rover on the surface of Mars. These cuts undermine the very partnerships exemplified by the Artemis III crew, and undermine NASA’s leadership in space and long-term success at the Moon and beyond.

We urge the Congress to complete their work and reject these short-sighted cuts and provide NASA with the resources necessary to maintain global leadership in space exploration and scientific discovery. The crew selection for Artemis III crew stands as a reminder that space exploration requires reliable funding, clear vision, and a steadfast commitment, one that Congress has routinely supported on a bipartisan basis.

The Planetary Society is the world's largest and most influential space interest organization. Founded in 1980 by astronomer Carl Sagan with Bruce Murray and Louis Friedman of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit is led today by CEO Jenn Vaughn and championed by Chief Ambassador Bill Nye. Members and donors fund programs in science and technology, public outreach, and advocacy. This work advances the exploration of space, the search for life beyond Earth, and the defense of our planet from dangerous asteroids and comets. Learn more at planetary.org.

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