Air Force Reservists support NASA's Ares I-X Test Rocket

  • Published
  • By SSgt Leslie Kraushaar
  • 920th Rescue Wing
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE , Fla.- --  Air Force Reservists from the 920th Rescue Wing here supported the successful launch of the test rocket, Ares I-X at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) from Kennedy Space Center today.

Wing helicopter crews were 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."

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

The crews then divide the area and start making contact with mariners to warn any moving ships which may end up on the danger zone.

Several other units across the 920th Rescue Wing provided vital support, including aircraft maintenance, life support and public affairs.

"We are proud to be a part of these lunar exploration missions," said Col. Macrander, 920th Operations Group Commander.

The Ares I-X test is part of a larger flight test program that will include three tests of the Orion launch abort system between 2009 and 2012, a follow-on Ares I-Y test, and an integrated test of both the launch vehicle and spacecraft, called Orion 1, in 2015.

The Constellation Program is developing new systems and vehicles to support the next generation of space exploration. These vehicles will support the International Space Station after the Space Shuttle is retired in 2010, as well as missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.

The 920th RQW is an Air Force Reserve combat search and rescue unit which performs more than 20 percent of the Air Force's CSAR mission. The Wing is comprised of 1,500 Airmen and flies both fixed and rotor wing aircraft: the HC-130P/N extended-range Hercules and the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter.

To date, Rescue Reservists have supported approximately 400 launches alongside their active-duty counterparts.