SAN DIEGO, Calif. (WSVN) — NASA is gearing up for its next mission to the moon, Artemis II, by conducting crucial tests off the California coast in preparation for the scheduled launch next year.
Among the comprehensive training exercises is a focus on safely extracting astronauts after they land in the Pacific Ocean and recovering the Orion crew module. Recently, the first capsule recovery test for Artemis II was carried out, and it proved to be a resounding success.
Commanding Officer Captain Doug Langenberg of the USS John P. Murtha, which participated in the test, expressed his pride in being part of this historic event.
“It was special to be a part of this; it’s a history-making event is what I told the crew,” said Captain Langenberg. “There were a few moments there when they were making the countdown to capsule splashdown where you can really kind of feel how it would feel if the Orion was coming back.”
The “crew module test article,” affectionately nicknamed “Vader,” was utilized during the test. It houses an internal cabin to simulate an actual space capsule with a crew inside, providing essential training for the upcoming mission.
Ryan Crider, who served as the command master diver for the previous mission, Artemis I, highlighted the challenges of capsule extraction.
“Nothing goes the same out there, you know, everything’s different,” said Crider. “We begin to inflate–it’s called a ‘front porch.’ Basically, it’s just a big inflatable that we put all the astronauts on, we pull it off to a safe location and that’s when the [helicopter] will come in and extract them.”
With the successful completion of the full training workup and capsule recovery test, NASA’s crew members are feeling confident and prepared for the next phase of training.
Lili Villareal expressed excitement about the unique opportunity to be part of such a big and complex operation.
“It was really exciting, this is a big, complex operation, everybody was just wonderful,” she said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be out in the water and doing what we do.”
The Artemis II mission, tentatively scheduled to launch in November of 2024, marks a significant milestone in NASA’s journey to return to the moon and eventually explore deeper into space. As preparations continue, NASA remains committed to ensuring the safety and readiness of its astronauts and equipment for this critical mission.
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