USS John P. Murtha to support NASA's Artemis II mission (Kenny '02)
Amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) is slated to serve as the recovery ship for the Orion spacecraft and its crew upon their return from the historic Artemis II mission.
The ship is named in honor of the late and long-serving Pennsylvania Congressman John P. Murtha.
“It is a fitting tribute to Congressman Murtha, who dedicated his life to serving our nation, that the ship bearing his name will be integral to this historic moment in space exploration,” said CAPT Erik Kenny '02, USN commanding officer of John P. Murtha. “He was a champion for our military and a visionary. We are honored to carry on his legacy by supporting NASA and the Artemis II mission.”
The Artemis II mission is the first crewed flight of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, sending four astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey that will take them beyond the Moon. This mission will mark humanity's first crewed voyage to the vicinity of the Moon in over 50 years.
Follow the Artemis II Tracker here.
BZ '02!