Artemis II Splashdown, Astronaut Recovery | Aviation Rescue Swimmer Sean Sondergaard | Ep. 59

When NASA's Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific off the coast of San Diego, four astronauts came home from the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. And right there—feet from the capsule, voice on the radio, eyes on every moving piece—was a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer.In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, Sean “Sondy” Sondergaard takes us inside one of the most historic recovery missions in modern naval aviation history—the Artemis II astronaut recovery. From the safety boat positioned right next to the Orion capsule, Sean was coordinating communications between the divers, the helicopters, the recovery ship USS John P. Murtha, and NASA's Landing and Recovery team as Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen were brought home from lunar orbit.But Artemis II is just one chapter.Sean shares what it takes to earn the wings of a Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer, the missions that shaped him, and what it felt like to be part of a team trusted by NASA to bring astronauts safely back to Earth.In this episode:Inside the Artemis II splashdown and recovery operationWhat it's like to be in the safety boat next to the Orion capsuleCoordinating communications between divers, helicopters, NASA, and the recovery shipThe training that prepares Navy Rescue Swimmers for missions of this magnitudeAssigned to HSC-23, working with the Navy dive medical team, and the USS John P. MurthaBringing astronauts home from the Moon for the first time in over 50 yearsThe legacy of Navy recovery operations—from Mercury and Apollo to ArtemisWhat it means to wear the wings and live "So Others May Live"Sean Sondergaard's story is a reminder that behind every historic mission is a team of quiet professionals doing the hard, dangerous, precise work the world rarely sees.👉 Subscribe, share, and leave a review. It helps more veterans, first responders, and families find these stories.CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST — Episode 59So Others May Live. 🫡🇺🇸Rescue Swimmer Merchandise https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com Military & First Responders: Use code SARRESCUE10 for 10% off 100% of proceeds support the podcast📖 Calm in the Chaos — The Book by Brian Dickinson Available at www.briandickinson.net 📩 Booking & Media Inquiries: [email protected] more content, subscribe and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast: Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancdickinson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinsonCalm in the Chaos: The Rescue Swimmer Podcast Untold Stories from U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers#ArtemisII #Artemis2 #ArtemisIIRecovery #NASA #OrionCapsule #Splashdown #AstronautRecovery #MoonMission #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #USSJohnPMurtha #HSC23 #RescueSwimmer #NavyRescueSwimmer #AviationRescueSwimmer #CalmInTheChaos #NavyRecovery #NavalAviation #USNavy #NavyVeteran #MilitaryVeteran #SoOthersMayLive #SearchAndRescue #SAR #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranStories #ResiliencePodcast #LeadershipUnderFire #MentalToughness #ServiceAndSacrifice #BrianDickinson #VeteranPodcast #SpaceRecovery #NASARecovery #PacificOcean #SanDiego