Italian astronaut to be first European on NASA's Artemis moon mission

Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano will make history as the first European to participate in NASA's Artemis III mission, the agency announced. Representing the European Space Agency (ESA), Parmitano is slated to join three American astronauts, Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas, and Frank Rubio, on the lunar mission, scheduled for late 2027.

Parmitano, selected by ESA in 2009, will be embarking on his third space voyage with Artemis III. His previous missions include a notable incident in 2013 during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. Water began to leak into his helmet, a terrifying experience he described as being "a goldfish inside a fishbowl." An investigation later determined the leak originated from the spacesuit's cooling system.

The Artemis program aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and serves as a stepping stone for future Mars missions. Artemis III is particularly significant as it is planned to be the first mission to land astronauts on the lunar south pole, a region believed to hold water ice.

Parmitano's selection highlights the strong international cooperation integral to the Artemis program. ESA's involvement, including providing the service module for the Orion spacecraft, is crucial for the mission's success. His participation underscores the global effort to explore the cosmos and push the boundaries of human spaceflight.

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a goldfish inside a fishbowl