Apollo 14 Crew Successfully Splashes Down in Pacific Ocean After Moon Mission
DEFENSE
On February 9, 1971, NASA's Apollo 14 mission concluded with the splashdown of astronauts Alan B. Shepard, Stuart A. Roosa, and Edgar D.
Mitchell in the Pacific Ocean. Recovery operations were executed by the U.S.S. New Orleans, which monitored the descent, retrieved the crew, and initiated quarantine procedures.
The astronauts underwent physical examinations post-recovery, and on February 12, they returned to Houston after a 21-day quarantine and examination of lunar samples. NASA later discontinued mandatory quarantine for future Apollo missions.
Feb 10, 2026, 3:47 PM
