APRIL 1, 2025 — At a moment’s notice, aeronautical capsules carrying astronauts streak through Earth’s atmosphere, landing in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. When a space module carrying astronauts splashes down, a joint recovery team from the Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA springs into action. The two organizations have collaborated on multiple missions throughout the years, prioritizing speed and, most importantly, safety.
One of those missions is the Underway Recovery Test (URT), which brings together NASA and military components. From March 25-31, 2025, amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) completed URT-12, marking a key milestone in preparation for the launch of NASA’s Orion spacecraft as part of the Artemis II campaign. This will be the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon in more than 50 years, carrying four astronauts around the lunar surface.
Coordinated Recovery Efforts
This was the second URT in which medical personnel from multiple commands united to execute NASA’s crewed recovery operation. When the capsule splashes down, NASA flight surgeons, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit 1, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, Human Space Flight Support (HSFS), Fleet Surgical Team 1, Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System, U.S. Northern Command, and Emergency Response Command personnel—all embedded with Somerset’s medical team—conduct health checks on the Artemis II crew.
“Navy medicine has accustomed us to being adaptable. We are trained to work with many different people across all terrains,” said Cmdr. Matthew Bidlack, officer in charge of Fleet Surgical Team 1. “During URT-12, we integrated multiple medical teams that don’t normally work together—many of which don’t typically operate on ships—with flawless cohesion.”
Simulated Recovery Operation
During URT-12, the command “Splashdown!” blared over Somerset’s loudspeakers, signaling the start of the simulated capsule recovery. Rigid-hull inflatable boats and combat rubber raiding crafts deployed from the Somerset. Navy divers and independent duty corpsmen with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit 1 surrounded the crew module test article and constructed an orange buoyant ledge, known as the “front porch,” around its edges for extraction.
MH-60S Seahawks from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 lowered fast ropes, enabling crew members to rappel down to the floating capsule. Astronauts participating in the underway training were extracted one by one from the front porch. The helicopters transported them to the ship’s flight deck, where naval aircrewmen and hospital corpsmen awaited their arrival, ready to escort the astronauts to the medical ward for assessment.
Enhanced Medical Readiness
“LPDs’ organic medical capabilities place us in a Role 1 medical category, providing basic first aid and trauma care. We don’t have surgical capabilities unless we have the Fleet Surgical Team and Emergency Response Command onboard,” said Lt. Cmdr. Kristen Werten, Somerset’s senior medical officer. “With integrated teams, we have the capacity to operate not just one but two operating rooms simultaneously.”
From the front porch to the medical bay, personnel were prepared to handle both nominal and contingency scenarios throughout the URT-12 mission.
“Astronauts have a unique medical status upon returning from space, making this an involved evolution,” said Capt. Matthew Tadlock, Expeditionary Strike Group 3 surgeon and officer in charge of Surface Medical Group 1. “Anytime you have aircraft involved, divers extracting people from the water, or Sailors tending lines, there’s a risk of injury.”
Building Toward Artemis II and Beyond
The exercises began cautiously to ensure safety, but as the mission progressed, NASA and Somerset crewmembers were able to increase their speed and efficiency. The data and experience gained from these recovery tests will inform future operations in preparation for Artemis II.
“I’m so excited to be part of something so historic,” said Lt. Col. Cady Blaster, First Air Force, Detachment 3. “It’s been amazing to see people from multiple commands come together to support a long-term presence on the Moon and the eventual goal of putting a human on Mars.”
In preparation for NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission, which will send four astronauts around the Moon and beyond in the Orion spacecraft, NASA and the Department of Defense will conduct a series of tests to demonstrate and evaluate the processes, procedures, and hardware used in recovery operations for crewed lunar missions. The Department of Defense has many unique capabilities that make it an ideal partner to support NASA, including its amphibious ships with the ability to embark helicopters, launch and recover small boats and provide medical care at advanced onboard facilities.
From Lt.j.g. Fiona Kurland