Artemis II Crew Visits Naval Base San Diego

L.t. j.g Thomas Lampognana, left, explains amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha’s (LPD 26) helm control console to NASA Astronaut U.S. Navy Capt. Victor Glover and Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen, July 19, 2023. The helm is used as the primary steering for the ship underway. In preparation for NASA's Artemis II crewed mission, which will send four astronauts in Orion beyond the Moon, NASA and the U.S. Navy will conduct a series of tests to demonstrate and evaluate the processes, procedures, and hardware used in recovery operations for crewed lunar missions. The U.S. Navy has many unique capabilities that make it an ideal partner to support NASA, including its amphibious capabilities with the ability to embark helicopters, launch and recover small boats, three-dimensional air search radar and advanced medical facilities.