NASA head Isaacman defends all-male Artemis III crew

Isaacman defends – NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman acknowledged public backlash over Artemis III’s all-male primary and backup crews, responding after NASA announced the 2027 mission lineup on June 9. He said the selection process involved no political appointees and emphasize

When NASA unveiled the Artemis III crew lineup on Tuesday, June 9, it didn’t just announce names for a mission targeted at 2027. It triggered a sharp, immediate backlash—over who would be flying, and who would not.

In the day after the announcement. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X that he had “seen reactions ranging from disappointment to outrage.” He framed the moment as a chance to focus on the astronauts selected. arguing the process had been respected and the talent across NASA’s astronaut corps deserved recognition.

The controversy has centered on the fact that Artemis III’s crew consists entirely of men, with no female astronaut selected for either the four-member primary crew or the single backup crew member.

The absence of women drew attention because—since Sally Ride’s historic 1983 spaceflight—at least one female astronaut has typically been part of most major crewed NASA missions. During the Artemis II mission in April. astronaut Christina Koch made history as the first woman to fly on a mission venturing near the moon.

Isaacman’s response came as NASA pushed ahead with its goal of returning astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. Artemis III is the second crewed test flight that will come before a human moon landing attempt as early as 2028 during the Artemis IV mission.

NASA announced the Artemis III astronauts under its Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era and build a permanent lunar base where people can live and work.

In his message, Isaacman sought to address the backlash while describing how the selection process worked. He said some astronauts may not have been eligible because they are already preparing for future missions to the International Space Station. Others, he added, may be better suited for future moon landings under the Artemis program.

“The crew selection does not involve any political appointees,” Isaacman said, adding that the Artemis III astronauts were chosen because they have the background and expertise necessary to carry out a successful mission.

“The Artemis III astronauts are experienced. qualified. and deserve to be celebrated for the mission they have been assigned. ” Isaacman wrote. “We have an extraordinary astronaut corps. and every mission and every crew is part of a larger campaign to get America back to the moon and to build the future we all dreamed about as children.”.

The crew announced for Artemis III includes Commander Randy Bresnik. a NASA astronaut and retired Marine colonel from Santa Monica. California. making his third trip to space. Pilot Luca Parmitano, an Italian with the European Space Agency, has traveled on two spaceflights to the International Space Station. Mission specialist Andre Douglas. a NASA astronaut from Miami. Florida. will fly for the first time after serving as a backup crewmember of Artemis II. Mission specialist Frank Rubio. a NASA astronaut and Army combat pilot from Miami. Florida. will join as he brings a record set in 2023 for the longest single spaceflight of any American during a mission to the International Space Station.

NASA also named astronaut Bob Hines, a U.S. Air Force veteran who has been to space once, as the backup crew member. Hines will train with the rest of the crew and could participate in the mission if another member drops out.

Isaacman also pointed to his own experience in private spaceflight, noting he has financed and commanded two private spaceflights that each included two women.

The task ahead for Artemis III is significant even beyond the composition of the crew. Targeted for 2027, it will be the third mission under NASA’s new lunar program and the second with a crew—similar in mission role to Artemis II, which went off in April without a hitch.

Artemis III’s primary objective is for astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft to meet and dock in low-Earth orbit—the same orbital region where the International Space Station operates—with both commercial lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.

Orion will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The commercial landers will reach orbit via separate rocket launches: SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System (HLS) using its Starship Super Heavy booster. and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 using its New Glenn.

After Orion’s crew rendezvous and dock with the landers, the plan begins with Blue Moon, followed by the Starship HLS, which the crew may or may not enter. The mission would end with a water landing in the Pacific Ocean near California.

As NASA prepares for the next step in returning astronauts to the moon—moving from Orion’s testing in space toward a potential landing attempt as early as 2028—Isaacman’s message puts the focus back on the mission and the astronauts themselves. But the disagreement over an all-male crew will remain part of the story as Artemis III heads toward lift-off planning in the years ahead.

NASA Artemis III Jared Isaacman moon mission Orion Space Launch System Artemis II Christina Koch Artemis IV SpaceX HLS Blue Origin Blue Moon Mark 2 Randy Bresnik Luca Parmitano Andre Douglas Frank Rubio Bob Hines