Artemis II astronauts train in San Diego for return from 1st moon landing in 50 years

T-minus 19 months and counting. That's how long before a NASA-led crew will make a return to the moon for the first time in 50 years.

For the first time this week, the astronauts have trained with recovery crew members in San Diego.

USS San Diego was used to house and recover the test capsule used to simulate the Orion space capsule splashing down off the coast of California, after its trip to the moon.

Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman dished up high praise for San Diego's U.S Navy servicemembers that are part of the project.

“Everyone is there for a mission purpose and to assist," U.S. Navy Capt. Wiseman said. "They’re ready to throw their lives on any problem to get the mission accomplished."

Wiseman is part of the four-person crew who will be the first in 50 years to travel around the moon.

The explorers say while the Artemis project is about sustainably living and working on the moon, the ultimate goal is humans on Mars.

"It’s about building on what we learn and exploring deeper, and that means going to Mars and answering some of those fundamental questions we all have about ourselves. What does it mean to be human? Are we alone in the universe? How did we all get here” astronaut Christina Kock, who’s the mission specialist on Artemis II, said.

After their 10-day, 685,000-thousand mile journey around the moon, scheduled for 2025, the Orion capsule is forecast to splash down near Catalina Island and San Clemente.

Navy divers and boats helped to retrieve the astronauts from the test capsule while out at sea during practice. The goal is to get the astronauts from the capsule, then helicopter them to get a medical check on board an amphibious transport ship like the San Diego, within two hours.

One of the practice runs showed a problem they overcame.

“For a while, we were under the rotor wash waiting for a successful hookup, and we were watching all the potential things go wrong. Then you watch sailors fall back on their training and do things with precision," Wiseman said.

"We’re helping to refine techniques and procedures the Navy will use to recover the Orion capsule when it splashes down in the ocean," Navy Capt. David Walton, commanding officer of USS San Diego, said.

This is the 11th capsule recovery test.

NBC 7 was granted exclusive access in December of 2022 to see preparations to recover an unmanned Orion capsule.

Now, when the manned Orion takes flight next year, Pomona native and U.S. Navy Capt. Victor Glover will be living out his childhood dream as pilot of the Orion space capsule, helping to give his fellow astronauts a space-eye-view he and some of his fellow astronauts have seen of America’s Finest City.

"California is incredibly beautiful. All the mountains. What I loved the most is coming up at night. You can see the California border and San Diego," Wiseman said.

“We have a mission to explore the unknown in space and innovate for humanity and inspire the world through discovery," Glover said.

NASA is targeting September 2025 for its crewed mission to the moon.

Once the astronauts return from their moon mission, the Orion space capsule will be taken to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, so data and parts of the capsule can be used for the next trip.