Navy medical diver assesses Artemis II crew after Pacific splashdown

A Navy medical diver and a three-person team entered the Orion capsule after its Pacific splashdown to evaluate the four Artemis II astronauts, and NASA reported the crew was healthy.

Vlad Link, a Navy medical diver from Chelsea, was part of a four-person team that entered the Orion capsule to evaluate the four astronauts after their nine-day Artemis II mission to the moon. Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego at 8:07 p.m., according to NASA. The recovery team's role was to provide one-on-one medical assistance as first-contact providers and they had trained for years in diving and undersea medicine. Link is a member of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit in San Diego and has 18 years of undersea medical experience. Key details: - Orion splashed down off San Diego at 8:07 p.m. after the flyby mission, according to NASA. - A four-person first-contact medical team entered the capsule about an hour after landing to evaluate astronauts Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover. - Navy and NASA personnel used speed boats and a stabilizing "front porch" raft to support astronaut egress before the recovery team opened the hatch. - The divers reported that the entire Artemis II crew had a clean bill of health, according to NASA ground control. - Vlad Link said in a Navy statement he was proud to represent his family and hometown; the Navy says he has 18 years of undersea medical experience and is part of an EOD mobile unit in San Diego. - The recovery team handed the astronauts to helicopters that transported them to the dock of the USS John P. Murtha, completing the first safe return of humans from a moon mission in more than 50 years, officials said. Summary: Recovery divers entered Orion after its Pacific splashdown and confirmed the four Artemis II astronauts were healthy. The crew was transferred by helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha, completing the recovery operation. Undetermined at this time.