OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA – With the clock ticking toward tonight’s historic splashdown, NASA and the U.S. Navy have confirmed that the USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) has reached its designated station in the Pacific Ocean. The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship is now positioned approximately 60 miles off the coast of San Diego, ready to serve as the primary recovery vessel for the Artemis II mission.
The selection of the John P. Murtha was no accident. Unlike the carrier-based recoveries of the Apollo era, modern Orion recovery utilizes the ship’s “well deck”—a massive internal bay at the stern that can be flooded. This allows the spacecraft to be floated directly into the ship rather than being hoisted by a crane, a method that significantly reduces the risk of structural damage to the capsule.
A Multi-Phase Operation
The recovery mission, coordinated by NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems team and the U.S. Navy’s 3rd Fleet, is a meticulously choreographed sequence:
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Aerial Tracking: Even before splashdown, MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 will track Orion’s descent, providing real-time imagery of the parachute deployment.
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Astronaut Extraction: Once the capsule hits the water, the primary focus shifts to the crew. Navy divers and a specialized Dive Medical Recovery Team will approach the capsule via small boats. The four astronauts will be assisted out of the hatch and hoisted to the helicopters for a short flight to the John P. Murtha’s flight deck.
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Capsule Retrieval: After the crew is safe, Navy divers from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1 will secure the 16.5-foot-wide capsule with a “horsecollar” sling and winch it into the flooded well deck.
High-Tech Support
“The John P. Murtha offers unique advantages, including state-of-the-art medical facilities and advanced communication arrays,” said Captain Erik Kenny, the ship’s commanding officer. “Our sailors have been drilling for months alongside NASA engineers to ensure this is a seamless handover from space to sea.”
Once the capsule is secured and the well deck is drained, the ship will begin the journey back to Naval Base San Diego. There, the Orion spacecraft will be prepared for overland transport back to the Kennedy Space Center for a comprehensive post-flight analysis—a data-gathering effort that will be crucial for the upcoming Artemis III lunar landing mission.
