The Department of Defense and NASA have completed their joint third test for the sea recovery of the crewed Artemis II capsule after the spacecraft’s 10-day moon mission scheduled for April 2026. The drill, called Underway Recovery Test 12, or URT 12, used as its platform the amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25), the U.S. Navy said in a statement after the test’s completion Monday.
Capt. Andrew Koy, USS Somerset commanding officer, noted the “long history” of the U.S. Navy and NASA’s partnership in recovering astronauts and equipment after space missions.
“The inherent capabilities of our amphibious transport dock ships are the perfect combination to ensuring the Artemis capsule and crew are safely recovered following their mission,” Koy pointed out, citing his crew’s competencies and USS Somerset’s facilities. Another Navy vessel, USS San Diego (LPD 22), was deployed for the previous recovery rehearsal, URT 11.
During URT 12, DOD and NASA demonstrated and evaluated the processes, procedures and equipment for the recovery operations, including the crew extraction from the Artemis II capsule and the astronaut’s transfer to the ship’s medical facility. A full-scale replica of Orion, the Artemis II capsule, was used to practice the recovery procedures.
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US Air Force Support
To support the U.S. Space Command in the Artemis II recovery, the U.S. Navy assigned additional units, including Expeditionary Strike Group 3, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1 and Amphibious Construction Battalion 1. The U.S. Air Force also extended assistance through its First Air Force, Detachment 3 and U.S. Space Force’s 45th Space Launch Delta Weather Squadron.
With their experience from the Artemis I recovery, the DOD-NASA teams adjusted their Artemis II recovery timelines and procedures, targeting to have the mission’s four astronauts safely transferred aboard the recovery ship within two hours after Orion’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
NASA Astronauts’ Participation
NASA said in a separate statement Monday that its astronaut and Artemis II pilot Victor Glover, along with his colleagues Andre Douglas and Deniz Burnham, as well as European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano, joined URT 12. “Allowing astronauts to participate when they are not directly involved in a mission gives them valuable experience by exposing them to a lot of different scenarios,” said Glover.
Besides Glover, the other Artemis II crew members are NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman—mission commander—and Christina Koch—mission specialist—plus her counterpart from the Canadian Space Agency, Jeremy Hansen.
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