Video

Video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Devin Kates

USS Portland (LPD 27) prepares for NASA Artemis I Orion Spacecraft Recovery after Splashdown

Expeditionary Strike Group 3

Dec. 11, 2022 | 0:41

PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 11, 2022) Amphibious transport dock USS Portland (LPD 27) and Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8) are underway in U.S. 3rd Fleet in support of the NASA Artemis I Orion spacecraft recovery, Dec. 11, 2022, following its mission to the moon. The retrieval operation is part of a Department of Defense effort that integrates combatant command service capabilities to determine best practices for safely retrieving spacecraft capable of carrying humans into space. The U.S. Navy has many unique capabilities that make it an ideal partner for supporting NASA, including its amphibious and expeditionary capabilities with the ability to embark helicopters, launch and recover small boats, three-dimensional air search radar and advanced medical facilities.