When the Artemis II Orion capsule hit the Pacific off San Diego, NASA and the U.S. Navy moved quickly to secure the crew. Five airbags inflated to right the vehicle and dampen wave motion, buying time for recovery assets to converge on the splashdown site today.

Navy divers approached the floating capsule in inflatable boats, inspected hatch integrity and fitted an inflatable collar for added stability. An attached platform, nicknamed the “front porch,” gave astronauts a dry foothold while helicopters hovered overhead. Within two hours, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen were lifted aboard the U.S.S. John P. Murtha for immediate medical evaluation.

After extraction, the crew undergoes rapid health checks on the ship before flying to Johnson Space Center in Houston. Meanwhile, the Orion capsule and its three parachutes are hoisted aboard the Murtha, secured with a series of lines, and towed to the Naval Base San Diego pier for transport back to Houston for post‑flight analysis.

The operation showcases the commercial‑military partnership that underpins NASA’s human‑spaceflight agenda, reinforcing the Navy’s role in recovering $2 billion‑class assets. Efficient turnaround bolsters confidence among investors watching the Artemis program’s budget and schedule, confirming that the United States can reliably retrieve crew and hardware from deep‑water missions.