U.S. Navy divers, attached to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1, conduct a hazardous material detection sweep of the Artemis II crew module after its return from its lunar mission on April 10, 2026. (David Rowe/U.S. Navy)
Six Navy photographers were among the first to capture the Artemis II astronauts’ homecoming. Though the sailors have returned to their regular duties, they still think about their mission.
“When people see our photos, I hope they feel like they are seeing history in the making,” MC2 Kenneth Melseth said this week.
From the waters of the Pacific Ocean to the flight deck of the USS John P. Murtha, Melseth and his colleagues were in place to cover every stage of the astronauts’ return on April 10 using photo and video.
On a recovery boat moving across the Pacific Ocean, MC2 David Rowe watched the Orion capsule parachute down from the sky as Navy and NASA teams moved in to begin recovery operations.
From left to right, NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman pose for a photo on the front porch before transiting to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), April 10, 2026. (David Rowe/U.S. Navy)
U.S. Navy divers, attached to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 1, approach the Artemis II crew module to recover the crew after returning from their lunar mission on April 10, 2026. (David Rowe/U.S. Navy)
U.S. Navy divers, attached to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 1, approach the Artemis II crew module, to recover the Artemis II crew after returning from its lunar mission on April 10, 2026. (David Rowe/U.S. Navy)
“I’ll never forget hearing the sonic boom as the capsule reentered the atmosphere, watching it splash down, and racing over by [the] boat,” said Rowe, a Navy dive photographer stationed at Naval Command in San Diego. He was among the first to capture the hatch opening and the astronauts emerging.
The sailors have photographed many special assignments during their careers, but they all agree that this one stands out as one of the most meaningful.
“Taking photos that will go down in history is a huge honor,” said MC2 August Clawson, who serves with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group ONE in Coronado, Calif.
The other photographers included: MCSN Matthew Green, stationed on the USS Carl Vinson; MC3 Elyssia Rodriguez, stationed on the USS Carl Vinson; and MC1 Charles Scudella III, with Fleet Public Affairs Center San Diego.
U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Matthew Green, assigned to aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), captures video footage of the Orion crew module in the Pacific Ocean from the bridge wing of amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Charles J. Scudella III/U.S. Navy)
U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Elyssia Rodriguez prepares for the arrival of NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on the flight deck aboard amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Kenneth Melseth/U.S. Navy)
U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kenneth Melseth walks with his camera bag on July 1, 2025. Melseth was one of six Navy photographers assigned to document the recovery of Artemis II in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Sam McNeely/U.S. Navy)
U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Charles Scudella III talks with a sailor on Friday, April 10, 2026. Scudella was one of six Navy photographers assigned to document the recovery of Artemis II in the Pacific Ocean. (Kristi Johnson/U.S. Navy)
As Rowe captured the capsule from the water, the other sailors stood on the flight deck of the USS John P. Murtha, waiting for the helicopters carrying the astronauts to land.
“All I could think about was how badly I didn’t want to mess this up,” said Melseth, who is stationed on the USS America in San Diego. “This was likely the best chance I would ever have to document history and leave my own mark on it.”
Artemis II was NASA’s first crewed lunar flyby mission in more than 50 years, sending four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon. It launched on April 1. The crew included commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor J. Glover Jr., and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.
Glover is a captain in the Navy who deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Wiseman is a retired Navy captain who deployed in support of Operation Southern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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)
NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy Capt. Victor J. Glover, center, raises his fist in celebration on the flight deck aboard amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha following extraction from the Orion crew module in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Kenneth Melseth/U.S. Navy)
NASA astronaut Christina Koch, center left, walks across the flight deck aboard amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha following extraction from the Orion crew module in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Kenneth Melseth/U.S. Navy)
“The gravity of this mission, no pun intended, made it special to me. I was one of the few hundred people that got to take part in documenting the Navy’s recovery of the crew and capsule,” Rodriguez said.
In the days leading up to the astronauts’ return, the team held daily planning sessions and coordinated their strategy for documenting that day. Scudella said their main goal was to “capture imagery that showed the weight of the moment,” including the emotions of sailors and Marines as well as the “pure relief and joy of the astronauts.”
“That’s what we really wanted to show, and I think our team succeeded,” Scudella said.
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)
U.S. Navy divers assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1 and sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha drive rigid-hull inflatable boats in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Elyssia Rodriguez/U.S. Navy)
NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, left, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen celebrate in an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, aboard amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha following extraction from the Orion crew module in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Elyssia Rodriguez/U.S. Navy)
Clawson said there were natural moments that helped the team get great photos, like the astronauts landing on the flight deck right when the sun was setting, which created a “beautiful golden light” that gave him the iconic shots of Koch sitting in the helicopter.
“The moment was surreal. I had a giddy feeling knowing I just took photos of astronauts that just went farther from Earth than any before them,” Clawson said.
Since the spacecraft and crew returned, the team’s photos have circulated across the internet, and the mission continues to resonate around the world.
“Seeing it get attention, and from such large outlets, is both delightful and a great learning experience,” Green said. “Being able to cover such a high profile event was a perfect reminder of how thankful I am to have this job.”
NASA astronaut Christina Koch sits in an U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 on the flight deck of the San Antonio Class amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha after returning from space on Friday, April 10, 2026. (August Clawson/U.S. Navy)
The Orion spacecraft parachutes toward the ocean near the amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha after returning from space on Friday, April 10, 2026. (August Clawson/U.S. Navy)
The NASA Orion space craft is winched into the well deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha after returning from the Artemis II lunar mission on Friday, April 10, 2026. (August Clawson/U.S. Navy)
