Many strive for greatness, and some achieve it. But few go beyond greatness, redefining the limits of human potential. Of the 8.3 billion people on earth, only 781 people have traveled to space, a fraction so small it represents far less than 1% of the global population.

One of those few is retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. Randy “Komrade” Bresnik. On June 9, 2026, NASA announced Bresnik’s selection as the commander of the Artemis III mission. His extensive experience in the Marine Corps and previous spaceflights have prepared him for the high-tempo mission, scheduled for launch in 2027.

Growing up in Santa Monica, California, Bresnik received a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship to The Citadel, where he commissioned into the Marine Corps in 1989. After completing flight training, he took on the responsibility of flying high-performance fighter jets.




Source: The Weight of the Stars