This US warship will recover NASA's Artemis II astronauts
What's the story
The US Navy is gearing up for a historic mission, as the USS John P. Murtha prepares to recover NASA's Artemis II astronauts after their spacecraft splashes down in the Pacific Ocean. The amphibious transport dock, based out of San Diego, has been conducting intense drills ahead of this high-stakes return. The crew's capsule is expected to splash down just after 5:00pm on Friday (local time).
Mission specifics
USS John P. Murtha's 'unique advantages'
The Navy has highlighted the "unique advantages" of the USS John P. Murtha in recovering the Orion capsule and collecting critical data for future Artemis missions. Capt. Erik Kenny, the ship's commanding officer, called this mission "a fitting tribute" to its namesake, Pennsylvania Congressman John P. Murtha. He added that they are honored to carry on his legacy by supporting NASA and the Artemis II mission.
Recovery operations
Recovery process explained
A Navy helicopter squadron from Naval Air Station, North Island will follow the capsule as it enters Earth's atmosphere. They will then pick up the four astronauts and transport them to the ship for evaluation. Additionally, Navy divers are also set to dive into the ocean, retrieve the Orion capsule, and bring it onto the ship's deck.
Historic flight
Breaking records in space
The upcoming recovery mission comes after a historic flight by the Artemis II astronauts. Last night, they traveled farther from Earth than any humans have ever done before, breaking the Apollo 13 record of 400,170km set in 1970 during a lunar flyby.