Navy Photographer Captures Iconic Artemis II Return Portrait at Sunset
Navy photojournalist Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class August Clawson captured what has become an iconic image of NASA astronaut Christina Koch during Artemis II's splashdown recovery aboard the USS John P. Murtha; he says he barely remembers taking the shot, which came together in the golden hour as helicopters retrieved the crew. The photo—Koch in an orange spacesuit against a sunlit helicopter window—reflects Clawson's long focus on unposed portraits honed on carrier decks, and NASA's timing of the mission to maximize dramatic recovery imagery.