All four Artemis II astronauts — commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — left NASA’s Orion capsule after the spacecraft splashed down and recovery teams completed initial retrieval operations, bringing the crewed lunar flyby mission to a close.
Navy divers and recovery personnel helped the crew climb from the capsule onto the detachable recovery platform, commonly called the front porch. Medics and divers guided each astronaut into harnesses, performed quick checks and seated them on the platform for initial medical assessments before helicopter hoists to the recovery ship.
Retired Lt. Col. David Mann, who previously helped plan astronaut rescue operations, explained that the process is deliberately slow and methodical. Teams confirm each crewmember is stable before a helicopter lift, both to protect the astronauts and to ensure a safe transfer to the ship.
Live coverage captured the crew crawling onto the front porch and preparing for hoist. The platform also helped steady the spacecraft during extraction. Once cleared by recovery medics, the astronauts were flown by helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha and then taken to Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego for more comprehensive medical exams. Depending on medical clearance and personal preference, they may proceed next to Houston.
Medical teams planned standard postflight evaluations to check for the effects of microgravity and the stresses of reentry and splashdown. Those assessments include taking vitals, blood and saliva samples, and administering cognitive-function tests to monitor how the body and brain are readjusting after days in microgravity. Onboard and shipboard medical staff also complete routine screenings before astronauts reunite with family.
Carter Evans of CBS News described scenes of relief on the recovery raft and helicopters circling overhead as the crew awaited hoists. The astronauts appeared healthy and in good spirits while moving to the front porch and preparing for transfer.
Recovery crews followed established procedures such as fitting collars and harnesses for helicopter extraction and removing and towing away the front porch between individual hoists. Those steps are standard protocol to guarantee safe movement from the capsule to shipboard care after splashdown.
The mission successfully returned the crew to Earth after completing its lunar flyby. Following the initial medical work and transport ashore, the astronauts will take part in debriefings and interviews about their experience, including their impressions of seeing Earth from lunar distance.
Recovery operations and medical care on the USS John P. Murtha were part of a coordinated effort between NASA and Department of Defense teams to secure the crew’s health and bring them home after the historic flight.