Air Force Reservists support 6th SpaceX launch for ISS resupply mission

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  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. --  When rockets are launched into space, the powerful sound of ignition, then lift off, can be heard from miles around. Another sound that can be heard shortly after a rocket is airborne from Florida's Space Coast, is the sound of rotor blades chopping through the coastal airways.

Prior to every Space Coast rocket launch, Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing at nearby Patrick Air Force Base, launch two HH-60G Pave Hawks, like the ones seen in Army war movies, to secure the launch hazard area beneath the rocket's path to ensure Atlantic Ocean mariners are safe.

Space Exploration Technologies' (SpaceX) successful launch of their Falcon 9 Dragon spacecraft April 14, 2015 was no different. Rescue Wing Airmen were on scene hours prior to the launch to clear and secure the Eastern Range. As a result the rocket is on it's way to the International Space Station from Space Launch Complex 40 here at 4:10 p.m. EDT.

Today's mission is SpaceX's fourth Falcon 9 launch of the year, and the company's sixth operational re-supply mission to the space station.

A combined team of military, government civilians and contractors from across the 920th RQW and 45th Space Wing provided support to the mission, including aircrew, maintenance, weather forecasts, launch and range operations, security, safety and public affairs. 

The Dragon spacecraft is filled with more than 4,300 pounds of supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support about 40 of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 43 and 44, according to NASA.

Science payloads will study new ways to possibly counteract the microgravity-induced cell damage seen during spaceflight, the effects of microgravity on the most common cells in bones, gather new insight that could lead to treatments for osteoporosis and muscle wasting conditions, continue studies into astronaut vision changes and test a new material that could one day be used as a synthetic muscle for robotics explorers of the future.

After five weeks at the space station, the spacecraft will return to earth with more than 3,000 pounds of cargo, including crew supplies, hardware and computer resources, science experiments, space station hardware - and then splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California.

Maj. Gen. (Sel.) Nina Armagno, 45th Space Wing commander, who also served as the Launch Decision Authority for this mission, lauded the entire team effort.

"One mission at a time - totally focused on our disciplined and safe process execution to ensure 100 percent mission success - is how we do things here on the Eastern Range," said Armagno.

"As always, all the credit goes to Team Patrick-Cape, NASA, SpaceX, and all the other mission partners who came together to make this mission happen," she said. "You continue to impress me and to do yourself proud."

The next launch on the Eastern Range Manifest is the Falcon 9 Thales mission, currently slated for liftoff at 6:14 p.m. EDT, April 24, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The Air Force Pave Hawk helicopter is a highly modified version of the Army Black Hawk helicopter which features an upgraded communications and navigation suite that includes integrated inertial navigation/global positioning/Doppler navigation systems, satellite communications, secure voice, and Have Quick communications.

The primary mission of the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter is to conduct day or night personnel recovery operations into hostile environments to recover isolated personnel during war. The HH-60G is also tasked to perform military operations other than war, including civil search and rescue, medical evacuation, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, security cooperation/aviation advisory, NASA space flight support, and rescue command and control.

The 920th RQW owns and operates 15 Pave Hawks and 6 HC-130s.

This news story was compiled from a 45th Space Wing news release.