But in February, Nasa changed that plan and said the mission would fly only in low Earth orbit, barely deeper in space than the International Space Station, and dock with prototype lunar landers.BBC reported.
Nasa's Administrator Jared Isaacman said the mission would nevertheless be the most complex ever.
"This mission will require the most awe-inspiring coordination of heavy-lift rocket launches in history, drawing on the talent and capability of teams across government and the spaceflight community," he said.
Randy Bresnik, a Nasa astronaut, will serve as the mission's commander.
Luca Parmitano, of the Italian Space Agency, will be the pilot of Artemis III. He's spent more than 300 days in space.
Americans Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio will be the mission specialists.
Bob Heintz will serve as a backup crew member. He is a test pilot who logged 170 days in space and can step into any role needed on the mission.
