Artemis III crew revealed
NASA named its next Artemis crew on Tuesday at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano (ESA), and mission specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas will fly the Artemis III mission. While the crew will not walk on the Moon or even enter lunar orbit, their mission is to test crucial systems needed for the planned Artemis V Moon landing in 2028.
Testing systems for lunar return
Artemis III will help validate life support, navigation, and docking systems that future crews will rely on for surface operations. The mission is a stepping stone toward returning humans to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. Parmitano becomes the first European astronaut assigned to a crewed Artemis mission.
Mangrove forests rebound globally
In parallel earth science news, NASA satellite data from the Landsat program shows that mangrove forests are now expanding globally after decades of decline. Researchers compiled a global record of mangrove extent and canopy cover from 1984 to 2023, finding that conservation efforts and natural regeneration are reversing losses in many regions.