Department of Defense completes Underway Recovery Test 12 with NASA

by Expeditionary Strike Group 3

31 March 2025 NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Landing and Recovery team and the Department of Defense successfully completed the third recovery test for the crewed Artemis II mission aboard amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25) off the coast of San Diego, March 31.

The primary objectives for Underway Recovery Test 12 were to demonstrate and evaluate the processes, procedures, and hardware for recovery operations for the crewed Artemis II mission around the moon.

“The U.S. Navy and NASA have a long history of partnering together to support the recovery of astronauts and equipment used for space exploration and research,” said Capt. Andrew Koy, commanding officer, USS Somerset. “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. The well deck, flight deck, medical facilities, and immense cargo carrying capacity crewed by highly trained and proficient Sailors, continues the NASA and Department of Defense legacy.”

Underway Recovery Test 12 allowed NASA and the Department of Defense to practice operational procedures for Artemis II, including timing of crew extraction from the capsule to the ship’s medical bay and day-and-night recovery procedures to support certification of personnel and processes for Artemis II mission.

Artemis II astronaut U.S. Navy Capt. Victor Glover embarked the ship for Underway Recovery Test 12.

“This puts my two loves together, space and the navy. I am really in my happy place here,” said Glover. “The partnership between NASA and the U.S. Navy is a testament to a fostered symbiotic relationship built on trust, where our needs are met by their unparalleled expertise and resources. Together, we’re not just working side by side; we’re one team! As we prepare to send the next group of explorers around the Moon and beyond, we’re pushing the boundaries of human achievement, all thanks to the strength of this incredible partnership.”

Working in support of U.S. Space Command, additional U.S. Navy units included Expeditionary Strike Group 3, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1, and Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, with support from U.S. Air Force’s First Air Force, Detachment 3, and U.S. Space Force’s 45th Space Launch Delta Weather Squadron.

After the 2022 successful recovery of the Orion spacecraft from the Artemis I mission using amphibious transport dock USS Portland (LPD 27), and with the addition of crew for the Artemis II mission, the recovery teams modified their timelines and procedures to ensure the astronauts will be safely on the recovery ship within two hours after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

After a 10-day mission, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will reenter Earth’s atmosphere at 25,000 mph, landing approximately 60 miles off the coast of California, where one of the U.S. Navy’s amphibious transport dock ships will recover the capsule and crew with NASA and DoD personnel.

Once the crew splashes down, a group of Navy divers will approach Orion and ensure it is safe for the astronauts to exit the spacecraft. The divers will then open the spacecraft hatch and help the astronauts exit one by one onto an inflatable “front porch.” This raft wraps around the capsule and allows for the crew to be picked up via helicopter and flown back to the recovery ship. Once the astronauts are on board the recovery ship, teams will secure Orion with a series of lines and tow it into the ship’s well-deck, just as they did during the Artemis I mission.

During the test, the team practiced the Artemis II recovery procedures, including releasing and recovering the crew module test article, a full-scale mock-up of Orion.

“As Navy Divers, we are proud members of the URT-12 team and look forward to a successful mission,” said Master Chief Navy Diver Ryan Crider, who leads the team of divers from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1 assigned to Underway Recovery Test 12. “We are the Navy’s experts in mobile salvage and towing, so the unique task of recovering and transporting a space capsule from the ocean to a well deck is the perfect opportunity to put our skills to the test.”

The recovery team will capture lessons learned and apply them to future underway tests to make sure they are ready to recover the Artemis II crew and bring them home safely.

“Since 1959, First Air Force, Detachment 3 has collaborated with NASA and the US Navy, a partnership that has led to our critical role in preparing for Artemis,” said Lt. Col. Mahan, First Air Force, Detachment 3 Artemis Program director. “With US Space Command, backed by the U.S. Navy, spearheading DoD human spaceflight support, and Air Forces Space serving as deputy, URT-12 has built a cohesive team committed to mission success. This landmark joint effort is undoubtedly the pinnacle of our year!”

As the Department of Defense’s Human Space Flight Support manager, U.S. Space Command is responsible for the terrestrial rescue and recovery of NASA-sponsored astronauts and spacecraft for the Artemis program.

Expeditionary Strike Group 3 comprises three amphibious squadrons, 15 amphibious warships, and eight naval support elements including approximately 18,000 active-duty and reserve Sailors and Marines. As the deputy commander for amphibious and littoral warfare, U.S. 3rd Fleet, the Expeditionary Strike Group 3 commander also oversees the 17 littoral combat ships under Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1.

Expeditionary Strike Group 3 is postured in support of U.S. 3rd Fleet as a globally responsive and scalable naval command element, capable of generating, deploying, and employing naval forces and formations for crisis and contingency response, forward presence, and major combat operations focusing on amphibious operations, humanitarian and disaster relief and support to defense civil authorities, and expeditionary logistics.

For more information on Underway Recovery Test 12, please visit:
https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/URT12