U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers · NASA Splashdown Operations
Apollo to Artemis
Fifty-five years. Two missions to the Moon. The same Navy creed: So Others May Live.
The complete firsthand account of how U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers bring NASA astronauts home from the ocean — from the Apollo 13 Pacific recovery in 1970 to the Artemis II Orion capsule splashdown off San Diego. Three episodes. Four guests. One mission.
The Story
When a Capsule Hits the Pacific,
The Navy Gets the Crew Home
Apollo and Artemis recovery share the same fundamental mission across more than half a century: when an American astronaut returns from space through ocean splashdown, the U.S. Navy gets the crew home. From Mercury to Gemini to Apollo — and now Artemis — the men in the water and on the cable are Navy aircrewmen, divers, surgical medical technicians, and Aviation Rescue Swimmers. The world watches the capsule. The Navy watches the people inside it.
This page is a complete record of how that work is done — pulled directly from the firsthand accounts of four U.S. Navy professionals who were there. Mike Longe served as a Navy helicopter aircrewman during Apollo recovery missions. Senior Chief Steve Williams supports modern Artemis recovery operations. Sean Sondergaard coordinated the Artemis II safety boat. Chris Upton rode the cable down to the Orion capsule itself.
Their stories form a three-episode arc on the Calm in the Chaos Podcast, hosted by bestselling author, keynote speaker, and former Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer Brian Dickinson. Apollo 13. Artemis II. Same ocean. Different doctrine. Same four words.
Artemis II
Lunar Crewed Flight
Firsthand Accounts
Streams & Downloads
The Lineage
Apollo and Artemis Recovery:
The Navy’s Continuous Lineage
A condensed timeline of Apollo and Artemis recovery operations — how doctrine, personnel, and equipment evolved across more than five decades of U.S. Navy involvement in NASA crewed capsule recovery, while the fundamental mission stayed exactly the same.
The U.S. Navy establishes the foundational doctrine for ocean capsule recovery during Project Mercury. Helicopter aircrewmen and recovery ships build the playbook from scratch — the playbook every subsequent program would inherit and refine.
Two-man Gemini capsules expand recovery complexity. Navy UDT (Underwater Demolition Team) swimmers begin playing a central role in capsule stabilization and astronaut extraction — a role that would mature through Apollo.
Navy helicopter aircrewmen and UDT swimmers recover every Apollo crew. After the Apollo 13 oxygen tank rupture and emergency lunar flyby, the Pacific recovery in April 1970 brings Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise to the USS Iwo Jima alive. Mike Longe, who served as a Navy helicopter aircrewman during the Apollo era, gives a firsthand account on Episode 54.
The last splashdown recoveries of the Apollo era. After 1975, the United States transitions to runway landings for the next 35 years.
SpaceX Crew Dragon brings ocean splashdown back into the U.S. crewed-spaceflight rotation. Navy recovery doctrine is rebuilt and refined — purpose-trained Aviation Rescue Swimmers replace the legacy aircrewman role, with a new, multi-phase team structure.
NASA’s Orion capsule splashes down in the Pacific off San Diego with Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen aboard — the first humans to leave low-Earth orbit in over 50 years. HSC-23 Aviation Rescue Swimmers, Navy divers, surgical medical technicians, and the USS John P. Murtha bring them home. Sean Sondergaard (Episode 59) and Chris Upton (Episode 60) tell the story from inside the operation.
The Series
Three Episodes. Inside the Recovery.
Apollo and Artemis recovery — told by the people who actually did the job. Each episode of the Calm in the Chaos Podcast goes deep on a different angle of NASA splashdown recovery.
Apollo vs Artemis: Aircrew Compare Splashdown Ops
For the first time, Apollo-era and Artemis-era recovery are placed side by side by the men who lived them. Mike Longe shares what helicopter aircrew faced in the Pacific in 1970. Senior Chief Steve Williams breaks down what’s changed — and what’s actually harder now. Doctrine, swimmer roles, capsule design, and the critical first minutes after splashdown.
Episode 54 pageArtemis II Splashdown: From the Safety Boat
When the Orion capsule hit the Pacific off San Diego, Sean Sondergaard was right next to it — coordinating communications between the divers, the helicopters, the recovery ship USS John P. Murtha, and NASA’s Landing and Recovery team. This is the view from the safety boat as four astronauts came home from the Moon for the first time in over fifty years.
Listen to Episode 59Hoisted Down to the Orion Capsule
The whole world watched the Orion capsule splash down. Chris Upton was the rescue swimmer hanging from the cable beneath an MH-60S Seahawk, lowered down to bring the astronauts home. Face-to-face with crew returning from lunar orbit, he extracted them one by one and delivered them to the USS John P. Murtha. The view from the cable.
Listen to Episode 60How It Actually Works
NASA Splashdown Recovery, Phase by Phase
Modern Apollo and Artemis recovery doctrine is a layered, multi-team operation. From the moment the Orion capsule hits the Pacific to the moment four astronauts walk onto the deck of the USS John P. Murtha, every phase has a dedicated role and a dedicated specialist.
The Orion capsule enters the Pacific. Capsule orientation (Stable 1 vs. Stable 2), sea state, and wind are assessed in the first seconds. The recovery clock starts immediately.
Navy divers are first in the water. Their job: attach the inflatable flotation collar around the capsule to ensure stability and prevent capsizing while the crew is assessed.
Surgical Medical Technicians and Navy medical personnel verify astronaut condition after reentry physiological stress — vital signs, mobility, alertness — before the hoist sequence begins.
A U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer is lowered by hoist from an MH-60S Seahawk to the capsule’s flotation porch. The swimmer is the last link in the chain that brings each astronaut home.
Each astronaut is extracted individually, one at a time, lifted from the capsule to the helicopter under coordinated control between pilot, crew chief, SMT, swimmer, divers, and ship.
The MH-60S Seahawk delivers the crew to the USS John P. Murtha, where the NASA Landing and Recovery team and Navy medical personnel complete the recovery sequence. The mission ends on the deck.
Apollo vs Artemis
Same Ocean. Different Doctrine.
The Pacific doesn’t care what year it is. But Apollo and Artemis recovery — how the U.S. Navy gets a crew out of the water — has evolved dramatically since 1970. Here’s the side-by-side breakdown straight from Episode 54 with Mike Longe and Senior Chief Steve Williams.
Apollo Era
1968 – 1975Artemis Era
2026 & BeyondArtemis II Recovery
The Mission, by the Numbers
Key facts about the Artemis II splashdown and recovery — humanity’s first crewed lunar mission in over half a century.
Inside the Operation
Who Does What in NASA Capsule Recovery
A NASA splashdown recovery isn’t one person. It’s a tightly coordinated team of specialists, each trained for a specific phase of the operation. Here’s who does what.
The Navy enlisted aircrew rate trained to deploy from helicopters into open ocean. During Artemis recovery, the rescue swimmer is hoisted to the flotation porch of the Orion capsule and extracts each astronaut by cable, one at a time. Lives by the creed So Others May Live.
First in the water. Navy divers attach the inflatable flotation collar to the capsule, verify external integrity, and ensure capsule stability before any extraction begins. They remain in the water through the full hoist sequence.
The Navy SMT rides on the recovery aircraft to handle any medical needs as astronauts are hoisted aboard. Reentry physiological stress means crew condition must be assessed quickly and managed in flight to the recovery ship.
The pilot, copilot, and crew chief of the MH-60S Seahawk fly the hoist. Hover precision, hoist control, communication, and decision-making in real-time wind and wave conditions are the difference between a clean recovery and a problem.
The legacy role. During Apollo, Navy helicopter aircrewmen handled hoist extraction directly while UDT swimmers worked in the water. Mike Longe, who served in this role during Apollo recovery missions, recounts the era on Episode 54.
Once helicopters deliver the astronauts to the USS John P. Murtha, the NASA Landing and Recovery team and Navy ship personnel complete the recovery sequence — medical evaluation, capsule offload, and crew transition to the next phase of the mission.
Calm in the Chaos Podcast
Listen to the Full Recovery Series
Episodes 54, 59, and 60 — available on every major podcast platform. Subscribe and leave a review. It helps more veterans, first responders, and families find these stories.
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Questions
Apollo and Artemis Recovery FAQ
Who recovered the Apollo astronauts after splashdown?
U.S. Navy helicopter aircrewmen recovered every Apollo crew. Apollo recovery doctrine paired aircrewmen with UDT (Underwater Demolition Team) swimmers, who deployed an inflatable flotation collar around the capsule. The aircrewmen then hoisted astronauts directly from the capsule to the helicopter, which delivered them to the recovery ship — the USS Iwo Jima for Apollo 13. Mike Longe, a Navy helicopter aircrewman who supported Apollo recovery, shares his firsthand account on Episode 54 of the Calm in the Chaos Podcast.
Who recovered the Artemis II astronauts?
The Artemis II Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific off San Diego, and the four-person crew was recovered by U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers from HSC-23, working alongside Navy divers, surgical medical technicians, and NASA’s Landing and Recovery team. The recovery ship was the USS John P. Murtha. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen were brought home — humanity’s first lunar mission crew in over 50 years. Sean Sondergaard (Episode 59) and Chris Upton (Episode 60) of the Calm in the Chaos Podcast were on the recovery team.
What is the difference between Apollo and Artemis capsule recovery?
The most significant change is personnel and doctrine. Apollo relied on Navy helicopter aircrewmen and UDT swimmers, with the aircrewman hoisting astronauts directly from the capsule to the helicopter. Artemis recovery uses a multi-phase team: Navy divers enter the water first to attach the flotation collar and stabilize the Orion capsule, medics assess the astronauts, and a Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer is then lowered by hoist to extract each astronaut individually. Surgical Medical Technicians ride on the aircraft for in-flight medical needs. The capsule, hoist systems, helicopters, and coordination architecture have all evolved — but the Pacific has not.
What does a Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer do during a NASA splashdown?
During a NASA capsule splashdown, the Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer is lowered by cable from an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter into the open Pacific. After divers stabilize the capsule with a flotation collar, the rescue swimmer extracts each astronaut from the flotation porch and rides the hoist back up to the aircraft, which delivers the crew to the recovery ship. The swimmer manages sea state, hoist precision, astronaut condition after reentry, and coordination between pilot, crew chief, surgical medical technician, divers, and ship — all simultaneously.
What ship recovered the Artemis II astronauts?
The USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26), a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, served as the primary recovery ship for the Artemis II astronaut recovery operation. After Aviation Rescue Swimmers extracted the four astronauts from the Orion capsule by helicopter hoist, MH-60S Seahawks of HSC-23 delivered them to the USS John P. Murtha, where the NASA Landing and Recovery team and Navy medical personnel completed the recovery sequence.
Who were the Artemis II astronauts?
The Artemis II crew was Reid Wiseman (Commander), Victor Glover (Pilot), Christina Koch (Mission Specialist), and Jeremy Hansen (CSA Mission Specialist). Their mission was the first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years — humanity’s return to deep space following Apollo 17 in 1972. They were recovered after Pacific Ocean splashdown by U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers and the USS John P. Murtha team.
Why is open-ocean astronaut recovery so dangerous?
Open-ocean astronaut recovery combines several simultaneous high-consequence variables: unpredictable sea state, capsule stability risk (Stable 1 vs. Stable 2 orientation), reduced astronaut mobility from reentry physiological stress, helicopter hoist complexity in wind and wave conditions, and time-critical decision-making with no ability to pause or reset. The first minutes after splashdown are the highest-risk window — and the entire world is watching.
What helicopter is used for Artemis recovery?
The MH-60S Seahawk is the helicopter used for Artemis recovery hoist operations. Flown by HSC-23 during the Artemis II recovery, the Seahawk lowers the Aviation Rescue Swimmer to the Orion capsule’s flotation porch and hoists each astronaut individually back to the aircraft for transit to the USS John P. Murtha.
Has the Navy always recovered American astronauts?
Yes. From the very first crewed American spaceflight in 1961 through Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and Apollo-Soyuz — and now Commercial Crew and Artemis — every U.S. astronaut returning by ocean splashdown has been recovered by the U.S. Navy. The doctrine has evolved across decades, but the responsibility has stayed in one place.
Your Host
Brian Dickinson
- U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer
- 2 deployments — Persian Gulf, Operation Southern Watch
- Mount Everest Solo Summiteer · Blind Descent, 2011
- Bestselling Author — Blind Descent, Calm in the Chaos, Bloodline of Redemption
- Keynote Speaker — CNN, Good Morning America, Fox News, NBC
- YouVersion Bible App Partner
- Marquis Who’s Who Honored Listee 2025
- 100K+ followers · 3.5M+ views
Brian Dickinson is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and former U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer. In 2011, he solo-summited Mount Everest — only to go completely snow-blind at 29,000 feet in the Death Zone. His miraculous blind descent remains one of the greatest survival stories ever told, and his message of resilience, leadership under pressure, and faith has reached audiences worldwide.
As host of the Calm in the Chaos Podcast, Brian brings the same mindset he developed as a rescue swimmer and Everest summiteer to every interview — including his three-episode arc on Apollo and Artemis recovery: relentless curiosity, deep respect for the people who go into chaos so others may live, and a commitment to telling stories that don’t get told anywhere else.
229,401 streams and downloads in the first year. Top 10% globally on Listen Notes. More popular than 96% of new podcasts on Spotify.