Europe wants to be a strong partner of the US in the Moon race, ESA astronaut says

Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, representing the European Space Agency (ESA), told Euronews that Europeans and Italians want to be strong partners of the United States in the race to return to the Moon. Parmitano was selected by NASA to join the Artemis III mission, planned for 2027, which is considered one of the most complex human spaceflights in recent history.

The mission will send three NASA astronauts and Parmitano to low-Earth orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft, where they will dock with two lunar landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Parmitano admitted that the mission was not on his radar, but he is grateful for the opportunity. He was the first Italian commander of the International Space Station (ISS) and has spent over 366 days in space on two long-duration missions.

Parmitano emphasized that he wants to bring the spirit of European identity—determination—into orbit, noting that his generation was not born European but became European. He highlighted the complexity of Artemis III, which involves three launches in close proximity and coordination of multiple spacecraft. Astronauts will live in the Orion capsule with a habitable volume of only 8 to 9 cubic meters.

To prepare, Parmitano and his crewmates are undergoing intense training, including simulations and malfunction scenarios. Despite political tensions between the EU and US on Earth, Parmitano stated that cooperation in space remains strong, with a shared goal of improving life on Earth. ESA has contributed significantly, for example, by building the European Service Module for Orion. Regarding the 2027 deadline—considered too ambitious by many experts—Parmitano argued that to achieve complex goals, one must be ambitious and work hard.