mission capsule and astronauts 215 miles SE off Christmas Island during April 1972. The second deployment came in the summer of 1972, and, in addition to the training exercises in the Sea of Japan, Ticonderoga also joined ASW training operations in the South China Sea. That fall, she returned to the eastern Pacific and, in November practiced for the recovery of Apollo 17. The next month, Ticonderoga recovered her second set of space voyagers near American Samoa at decimal -17.88, -166.11. The carrier then headed back to San Diego where she arrived on 28 December. On 22 June 1973, Ticonderoga recovered the Skylab 2 astronauts near San Diego. Ticonderoga remained active for nine more months, first operating out of San Diego and then making preparations for inactivation. On 1 September 1973, the aircraft carrier was decommissioned after a board of inspection and survey found her to be unfit for further naval service. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 16 November 1973, and arrangements were begun to sell her for scrap. She was sold for scrap 1 September 1975. Awards Ticonderoga received five battle stars during World War II and three Navy Unit Commendations, one Meritorious Unit Commendation, and 12 battle stars during the Vietnam War. Navy Unit Commendation (3) Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation American Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal (5 battle stars) World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) National Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (4) Vietnam Service Medal (12 battle stars) Korean Defense Service Medal Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation (Gallantry Cross Medal with Palm) Philippine Liberation Medal (1 battle star) Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal Gallery References External links Big T.net – USS Ticonderoga Veterans Association Navsource Ticonderoga Photo Archive Ticonderoga War Damage Report for dual kamikaze hit, January 1945 Genealogy of Rear Admiral William Sinton USN USS Ticonderoga pictures from the U.S. Naval History Center Essex-class aircraft carriers Ships built in Newport News, Virginia 1944 ships World War II aircraft carriers of the United States Cold War aircraft carriers of the United States Vietnam War aircraft carriers of the United States Space capsule recovery ships