USS John P. Murtha conducts flight ops in Pacific Ocean

An MH-60 Sea Hawk, flown by Lt. DJ Matthews, left, and Lt. Taylor Holland, assigned to attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, prepares to land aboard amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) after supporting Artemis II recovery operations in the Pacific Ocean, April 10, 2026. John P. Murtha is underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations supporting NASA’s Artemis II mission, retrieving the crew and spacecraft following their return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. NASA’s Artemis II mission sent four astronauts on a flight around the moon in the Orion space capsule, marking the first time humans journeyed to deep space in over 50 years. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Drew Verbis)