The first faces the Artemis II crew saw upon their splashdown off the coast of San Diego, April 10, were Navy sailors.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jesse Wang and Navy hospital corpsmen Senior Chief Petty Officer Laddy Aldridge, Chief Petty Officer Vlad Link and Petty Officer 1st Class Steve Kapala made up the dive medical team that opened the Orion capsule upon its return to Earth.
The team conducted initial medical assessments of the Artemis II crew and assisted them out of the capsule safely and efficiently.
They provided initial one-on-one assistance to Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, respectively. Training was a yearslong process for the four team members, who served as first-contact medical providers inside the capsule.
Often working in expeditionary warfare communities, Navy dive medical personnel are certified divers and undergo specialized training, making them experts in decompression illnesses and other undersea medical considerations. Their mission is to care for and ensure that dive-qualified service members are safe to conduct diving operations.
Following the Orion's reentry into Earth's atmosphere and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, the medical team entered the capsule to conduct initial exams for the crew, provided triage care as necessary and assisted the astronauts in egress onto the inflatable raft set up outside by Navy divers. The first-contact medical providers then prepared the crew to be airlifted by Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 back to the amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha for follow-on evaluations.
Wang, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1, served as the lead for the team. From Laguna Beach, California, he is a board-certified emergency medicine doctor by trade, having completed residency training at Lincoln Hospital in New York City. He joined the Navy in 2021 and was designated as an undersea medical officer in 2024.
"As a proud member of the undersea medical community, I am particularly humbled to play a part in this mission," Wang said. "It is the honor of a lifetime to stand here today, ready to provide the absolute best care to the Artemis II crew."
Aldridge, from Cushing, Oklahoma, was the first member to make contact with the crew upon their return. Assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit 1, he opened the capsule, entered the space and began medical assessments.
"Coming from three generations of military service in my family, I'm honored to serve as the senior dive independent duty corpsman for this mission," Aldridge said. "This effort is the culmination of both our training to bring world-class care to the Artemis II crew and countless dedicated years of Navy diving and Navy medicine."
Dive independent duty corpsmen like Aldridge, Link and Kapala are specifically trained in dive medicine.
Link, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 1, is the third member of the team and hails from Chelsea, Massachusetts. He has 18 years of experience in dive medicine, but he shares that this mission is already a highlight of his career.
"I have been exposed to the Navy since I was a young teenager, and I'm proud to represent both my family and hometown," Link said. "Contributing our efforts to NASA and the Artemis II mission is something we take great pride in as part of that legacy."
The fourth member, Kapala, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11, hails from Alpena, Michigan, and has been practicing dive medicine since 2018. He notes the significance of the historical mission as a unified effort, both for himself and everyone involved.
"I grew up reading sci-fi novels and watching space movies, never thinking that I would play a part in a recovery mission like this," Kapala said. "It is surreal to play a part in safely recovering the astronauts from the capsule to get them home safe to their families; [it's] an effort that really makes you realize this team is bigger than just the four of us."
With immense levels of experience and specialized training under their belts, this team of expeditionary medical providers gave the Artemis II crew a warm welcome back to Earth following the 10-day lunar mission.
"Our fellow divers, the sailors on the ship, the helicopter squadron, our partners at NASA and everyone supporting this mission are ready to bring the Artemis II crew home," Wang said. "This team is undoubtedly making history."