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San Diego
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Nation / PlaceUS

San Diego

Pacific coast city in California; hub for US Navy and Artemis II splashdown recovery.

On 10 April, Orion returned from lunar distance and splashed down 200 miles off San Diego; all four Artemis II astronauts reached USS John P. Murtha within two hours.

Last refreshed: 24 September 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Why did the Artemis II crew return to San Diego and how was the recovery handled?

Timeline for San Diego

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Background

San Diego is a Pacific coast city in California and a hub for the US Navy. Its naval infrastructure gave the Artemis II mission a nearby operational base when Orion returned through the Pacific in April 2026.

The city sits on the US-Mexico border and combines Pacific access with naval and aerospace activity. That geography makes San Diego relevant to ocean recovery operations requiring ships, medical support and rapid Onward transport.

On 10 April, Orion was recovered offshore and later transferred to Kennedy Space Center for engineering inspection, keeping San Diego's part in Artemis II confined to the Navy-led recovery phase rather than NASA's post-flight analysis.

Key Issues
Lunar recovery

San Diego hosts Pacific recovery

On 10 April, Orion splashed down 200 miles off San Diego after Artemis II's lunar flyby. USS John P. Murtha recovered all four astronauts by 21:58 EDT, making the waters off the city the return point for the first crewed mission from lunar distance since 1972.

The recovery zone held despite a Pacific cold front that had threatened a relocation. Conditions of three-to-five-foot waves and winds below 10 knots allowed the ship to remain in position on 10 April, avoiding the 400-mile repositioning imposed during Artemis I in December 2022.

Common Questions
Why is San Diego the Artemis II splashdown site?
The Pacific Ocean 50 miles off the San Diego coast is the designated splashdown zone; Naval Base San Diego provides the recovery ship and logistics.Source: NASA / NBC San Diego
Where does San Diego sit geographically?
On the Pacific coast of Southern California at the US-Mexico border; second-largest city in California with ~1.4 million residents.Source: Geographic reference
How will the Artemis II crew be recovered?
A San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship from Naval Base San Diego will retrieve the Orion capsule after Pacific splashdown.Source: NASA recovery plan