By Ashley Craig, Navy Office of Community Outreach
MILLINGTON, TN – When NASA’s Artemis II crew splashed down in the Pacific upon their return to Earth from their flight around the moon, U.S. Navy sailors stood ready to welcome them home.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas Mercado, from Menifee, California, was among the sailors who supported the recovery of the crew and the Orion space capsule.
Mercado, a 2014 graduate of Heritage High School, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to USS John P. Murtha, the ship tasked with retrieving the astronauts and spacecraft.
Mercado serves as a hospital corpsman and was the flight deck corpsman during the recovery mission.
“My role was to maintain a medical safety cover for the ship’s aviation crew,” Mercado said.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Menifee.
“Growing up, my father always taught me the importance of completing the job in front of you, then moving forward to the next,” Mercado said. “This gave me the no-quit mentality and strong work ethic I have today.”
Mercado joined the Navy more than eight years ago. Today, Mercado is a hospital corpsman who has earned both Fleet Marine Force and Surface Warfare qualifications.
“I joined the Navy to travel the world and do cool things for the Navy,” Mercado said. “My father served in the Army, and my grandfather served in the Navy.” NASA’s Artemis II mission sent four astronauts – NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen – on a nearly 10-day flight around the moon in the Orion space capsule, marking the first time in more than 50 years that humans journeyed to deep space. The crew splashed down just after 5 p.m. (PDT) on April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, where Navy sailors who had been training for this recovery mission were waiting aboard John P. Murtha, an amphibious transport dock.
NASA’s Artemis II mission sent four astronauts – NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen – on a nearly 10-day flight around the moon in the Orion space capsule, marking the first time in more than 50 years that humans journeyed to deep space. The crew splashed down just after 5 p.m. (PDT) on April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, where Navy sailors who had been training for this recovery mission were waiting aboard John P. Murtha, an amphibious transport dock.
The U.S. Navy’s amphibious transport dock has unique advantages, including a well deck, helicopter pad, onboard medical facilities and communication capabilities needed to support the mission. The platform gave NASA the ability to recover the Orion space capsule and collect critical data to help ensure it’s ready to recover the astronauts and capsule during future Artemis missions
Homeported in San Diego, 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, 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.”
Mercado has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest moment in the Navy was becoming a corpsman and being there for my sailors and Marines in their best and worst times, while having their back to get them through it,” Mercado said.
This year, the Navy is commemorating its contribution to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence. According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity.
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber-optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
“Serving in the Navy has taught me a great deal of discipline and patience,” Mercado said.
Mercado is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I’d like to give a shout out to my mom,” Mercado said. “Her constant support has helped me do bigger and better things throughout my career. I’d also like to give a shout out to my two kids, Lachlan Burns and Eleanora Mercado, who have been my biggest reminder to keep fighting.”
