A San Diego amphibious ship and its crew are about to become the final stop between four astronauts and solid ground when Artemis II splashes down on Friday
Published on Apr 08, 2026 at 4:34 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Apr 07, 2026 at 8:38 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
This amphibious ship out in San Diego will be the final stop for the four astronauts aboard the Artemis II when it splashes down to Earth.
Later this week, the astronauts will return to solid ground, but getting them back to Houston won’t be a simple journey.
Upon landing in the water, they’ll be picked up by a ship, flown to San Diego by helicopter, and then placed on a flight back to Texas.
That sounds like a lot, and it is – but what kind of ship will be welcoming them back to Earth?
This is the amphibious ship that will serve as the final stop for the Artemis II crew
It was the US Navy that broke the news about which amphibious ship would recover the four Artemis II astronauts when their Orion space capsule lands in the ocean off the coast of San Diego.
It’s going to be the USS John P. Murtha, measuring out at 684 feet.
Typically, it would be used to transport Marines, but now it’s serving a rather out-of-this-world purpose.
The ship has already completed special training to prepare it for the landing.
So what’s expected to happen, exactly?
On April 10, the expected landing will commence when four bright airbags deploy on the approaching capsule.
They will keep the capsule upright as it lands in the water, and help the crew of Murtha to locate it.
Once in reach, the astronauts will be collected and transported by helicopter to Naval Air Station North Island.
A waiting jet will then whizz them off to Houston, where they will hold the standard press conference that we’ve come to expect from astronauts.
In anticipation of the landing, both NASA and the Coast Guard have warned the public not to approach the landing area, due to the likelihood of debris, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The Navy has said the ship had ‘unique advantages’.
“It is a fitting tribute to Congressman Murtha, who dedicated his life to serving our nation, that the ship bearing his name will be integral to this historic moment in space exploration,” Capt. Erik Kenny, commanding officer of John P. Murtha, said.
“He was a champion for our military and a visionary. We are honored to carry on his legacy by supporting NASA and the Artemis II mission.”
People haven’t been this excited about a space mission in a long time
A whole lot has been written about the Artemis II mission in recent days, right?
It’s easy to see why people are excited – this is, after all, the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 all the way back in 1972.
And the shots taken on the flyby of the Moon have been nothing short of spectacular.
Along the way, we’ve learned some interesting tidbits about the mission.
For example, despite the fact that this is a multi-billion-dollar mission, a floating plush toy is still being used to signal zero gravity.
And then there was the guy who was lucky enough to see the Artemis II passing by from his flight.
We can’t wait to see the touchdown in a few days’ time.
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Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
