Artemis II’s four astronauts were hoisted by helicopter from an inflatable raft in the Pacific after their capsule splashed down, then taken to a recovery ship for medical checks and onward transport.
The crew — Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman — were recovered from the spacecraft’s “front porch” inflatable raft and lifted one by one into helicopters. They were flown to the USS John Murtha, where medical teams evaluated them before they were scheduled to be moved on to San Diego and then Houston to reunite with family.
Recovery followed a nine‑day mission that took the crew roughly 252,000 miles to the Moon and back. During the flight they looped around the Moon, sent back images and logged a large volume of science and photography. Members of the crew said they’d been journaling during the trip to record the experience; reporters noted they will still be processing what they saw and did for some time.
Reporters described the hoist as a triumphant final step in a long deep‑space outing: astronauts were fitted with harnesses, lifted to waiting helicopters in a predetermined order, and flown off the “front porch” to the recovery ship. Recovery procedures include multiple rounds of medical checks to monitor how the crew readjusts to Earth gravity after their extended time in deep space.
NASA and recovery personnel followed established procedures to ensure crew safety during the ocean recovery and transfer. The mission’s success—returning the crew safely with a large haul of observations and photos—was framed by astronauts and officials as an important step for future deep‑space efforts and as an inspiring moment for broader lunar and Mars ambitions.