S69-20621 (26 May 1969) --- A member of the Apollo 10 crew is hoisted into a helicopter from the prime recovery ship, USS Princeton, during recovery operations in the South Pacific. Astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; John W. Young, command module pilot; and Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot, were picked up and flown to the deck of the USS Princeton where a red-carpet welcome awaited them. The spacecraft was later retrieved from the water and put aboard the recovery ship. The Apollo 10 splashdown occurred at 11:53 a.m. (CDT), May 26, 1969, about 400 miles east of American Samoa, and about four miles from the recovery ship, to conclude a successful eight-day lunar orbit mission. U.S. Navy underwater demolition team swimmers assisted in the recovery operations.