Pave Hawks give NASA sun study a lift

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  • 920 Rescue Wing Public Affairs
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. (AFNS) --  The 920th Rescue Wing Reservists supported the successful launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle from Space Launch Complex 41 here at 10:23 a.m. EST Feb. 11.

The rocket carried the Solar Dynamics Observatory, a NASA spacecraft, which will study the sun and its dynamic behavior.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory's onboard telescopes will scrutinize sunspots and solar flares using more pixels and colors than any other observatory in the history of solar physics, and will reveal the sun's hidden secrets in photographs.

Wing helicopter crews are responsible for clearing the Eastern Range, the roughly 10-mile-wide by 70-mile-long strip of Atlantic Ocean that extends out from the launch pad in the anticipated direction of flight, or "launch azimuth."

"The 920th Rescue Wing is proud to support the 45th Space Wing during all classified and unclassified rocket launches conducted in the Eastern Test Range off Cocoa Beach Florida," said Colonel Philip Manning, 920th Rescue Wing Vice Commander.

In a worst-case scenario the shuttle could shower debris or veer off course so the Reservists scan 1,000 square miles of ocean water for boats and ships.

By better understanding the sun and how it works, scientists hope to better predict "space weather," providing earlier warnings to protect astronauts and satellites.