University of Tennessee alumnus to command Artemis III

Knoxville, TENNESSEE — NASA has appointed and introduced the workforce that may head Artemis III, the third to a four-part mission to maintain human life on the moon.

To command the mission, NASA chosen Randy Bresnik. He is the Assistant-to-the-Chief of the Astronaut Office for Exploration for NASA and beforehand served within the United States Marine Corps.

But he’s additionally a former Tennessee Volunteer. 

Bresnik graduated from the University of Tennessee Space Institute with a grasp’s diploma in aviation programs in 2002. He was then chosen by NASA to develop into an astronaut in 2004. 

He has already been to area twice— in 2009 and 2017. According to NASA, he has gathered 32 hours of spacewalk time within the void of area.

“It would be great if he’d sing some ‘Rocky Top’ on the mic, or if he had the chance to talk to some of our students, that would be tremendous,” stated Dr. John Schmisseur, who’s the chief director of the UT Space Institute. “But we want him to, as usual, do his job well and come home safely.”

The UT Space Institute is in Middle Tennessee, positioned subsequent to the Arnold Engineering Development Center, which is the U.S. epicenter for aerospace floor testing. Schmisseur stated the proximity to the event heart offers college students an opportunity to have a tangible affect on the nation’s aerospace business. 

He additionally stated that proximity has allowed UTSI to create a legacy of adorned astronauts, Bresnik included.

“We’ve had a lot of alumni do some pretty epic things in aerospace and defense,” Schmisseur stated. “Whenever we get another astronaut selected to do something, particularly go to space, we get excited about that.”

NASA stated Artemis III is scheduled to launch in late 2027.