Aircraft of the Artemis II splash down
Airfind news item
By Tony Rice
Published on April 12, 2026.
NASA worked with the FAA, U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force to secure the safe recovery of the Orion capsule, named "Integrity" by the Artemis II crew. Multiple helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and recovery ships were involved in the operation, which included four Seahawk helicopters, the Navy's version of the UH-60 Blackhawk, two Seahawks, and two more Seahawks, which provided live video of the descent, splashdown, and Orion capsule bobbing off the coast of Baja California. The highly modified Boeing 737, a flying laboratory fitted with sensors to measure radar signatures of stealth aircraft, also supported the landing. However, recovery efforts were hampered by private boats entering the area shortly after splashdown raising concerns about potential exposure to highly toxic hypergolic fuels before trained crews could secure the spacecraft.
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