NASA boss defends all-male Artemis III mission

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on Wednesday defended the selection of an all-male crew for the Artemis III lunar mission.

"I have seen reactions ranging from disappointment to outrage," Isaacman said in a post on social media platform X.

"In a world with so much controversy, I hope this can be a moment where we celebrate the astronauts selected, respect the integrity of the process, and recognize the extraordinary depth of talent across the entire corps," the NASA administrator added.

The selection is based on numerous criteria, and ultimately, the crew chosen is one "that gives the mission the best chance of meeting its objectives," Isaacman wrote while emphasizing how many outstanding female astronauts and other female employees the US space agency has.

US astronaut Christina Koch was part of the Artemis II crew, becoming the first woman to orbit the moon. The fact that no women are part of this mission has drawn criticism from observers and space enthusiasts worldwide.

The Artemis III mission, which was originally intended to land a crew on the moon no earlier than 2028, is now scheduled to launch into Earth orbit next year for testing, but will not land on the moon, Isaacman said in February.

The troubled Artemis programme aims to return humans to the moon and establish a US base there, paving the way for missions to Mars, amid intensifying global competition for military, commercial and scientific advantage in space.