Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, left, and Jeremy Hansen celebrate in an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, aboard the USS John P. Murtha, after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10, 2026. Wiseman, a retired Navy captain and Iraq War veteran, commanded the historic moon mission. (Kenneth Melseth/U.S. Navy)
Sailors, NASA personnel and contractors aboard the USS John P. Murtha on Friday recovered four astronauts returning from the first crewed mission near the moon in more than 50 years.
The Artemis II astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego shortly after 8 p.m. ET. Sailors opened the Orion capsule carrying the astronauts and assessed their health before bringing them aboard the ship, where more medical care awaited. Photos released by the Navy showed the astronauts celebrating the mission’s successful end with sailors.
The four-person dive team was composed of sailors with specialized training for undersea medical considerations, a Navy news release said. It was manned by Lt. Cmdr. Jesse Wang, Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Laddy Aldridge, Chief Hospital Corpsman Vlad Link and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Steve Kapala.
Personnel with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 ferried the astronauts to the Murtha. Before that, they were tasked with providing images that help NASA track Orion’s descent.
Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, left, and Jeremy Hansen wave in an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, aboard the USS John P. Murtha, after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10, 2026. Wiseman, a retired Navy captain, commanded the historic moon mission. (Elyssia Rodriguez/U.S. Navy)
Artemis II pilot and Navy captain Victor J. Glover claps for sailors assigned to the USS John P. Murtha, following the astronauts’ extraction from the Orion space capsule in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Elyssia Rodriguez/U.S. Navy)
The Artemis II mission’s Orion spacecraft is winched into the well deck of the USS John P. Murtha after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10, 2026. (August Clawson/U.S. Navy)
Navy divers return to the well deck of the USS John P. Murtha after recovering the Orion spacecraft on Friday, April 10, 2026. (August Clawson/U.S. Navy)
The Artemis II Orion capsule splashes down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, 2026. (NASA via AP)
Retrieving the crew “is a very complex operation, and it requires unique skills and equipment,” said Jason Endsley, Landing and Recovery lead for Amentum, which contracts with NASA.
NASA specifically uses the Navy’s LPD-class amphibious transport dock ships, Endsley said, which have a floodable well deck that allows the safe recovery of the space module. The module can provide valuable information on flight and reentry performance, and some of its components can be repurposed, he said, which is why handling it properly is a part of mission success.
When they came in contact with the astronauts, Murtha’s crew met a fellow sailor: Capt. Victor J. Glover Jr. became the space mission’s pilot because of his extensive experience as a naval aviator. The mission’s commander, Reid Wiseman, is a retired Navy captain and former naval aviator. Both served in combat in Iraq.
Murtha’s retrieval of the astronauts caps a yearslong effort that involved the U.S. military from the beginning.
The Navy’s medical dive team with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1 poses for a group photo while underway on the USS John P. Murtha in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, April 9, 2026. The team will be first to meet the four Artemis II astronauts after their splashdown at sea. (August Clawson/U.S. Navy)
U.S. Navy medical personnel assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1 and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 train to recover the Artemis II astronauts while aboard the USS John P. Murtha in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (Charles J. Scudella III/U.S. Navy)
Amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha traverses the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. The ship is underway to retrieve the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission, as well as their space capsule, upon their reentry into the Earth Friday. (Elyssia Rodriguez/U.S. Navy)
The Orion’s parachute system, key to keeping the massive deceleration of reentry into the Earth safe for astronauts, was developed with the help of multiple tests from 2011 to 2018 at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.
Though most of the facility’s personnel are civilians, soldiers with the elite Airborne Test Force, who are knowledgeable about cargo and personnel parachute testing, helped with the testing, said Mark Schauer, a public affairs officer at the facility.
Navy personnel also trained for the recovery mission repeatedly.
The safe recovery of the crew and their module is the final moment needed to qualify the Artemis II mission as a success, with the mission largely proceeding smoothly since launch.
During the 10-day mission, the astronauts set a record for distance traveled from Earth and became the first humans to directly view the dark side of the moon. They also provided humanity’s first photo from the far side.
It may not be the last. Future Artemis missions aim to explore the moon’s south pole and establish a lunar base, and are seen as paving the way for an eventual landing on Mars.
Even as Artemis II concludes, the Navy continues to partner with NASA. On Thursday the service put out a call for sailors to volunteer for a study that will help NASA prepare for the next Artemis missions.
The first photo of Earth as seen from the far side of the moon, taken by the Artemis II mission’s astronauts on Monday, April 6, 2026. (NASA)
