Rescue Airmen support historic rocket launch: Atlas V carries largest ever payload

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Anna-Marie Wyant
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Reserve Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing supported the successful launch of an Atlas V rocket July 19 at 9 a.m. EDT from Space Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Rescue Wing Airmen took flight on two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters more than two hours before the scheduled launches. They patrolled the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean beneath the launch trajectory ensuring no mariners veered into harm's way of potential rocket debris hazards, maintaining the security and safety of the range.

"With all the boats out in the ocean moving around in various directions, first we have to find out where they are, where they're going, and where they will be at the time of the launch," said Lt. Col. Robert Haston, a 920th Rescue Wing pave hawk pilot who flew on this mission. "So we prevent boats from being within the range at launch time."

This launch marked the largest ever payload for an Atlas V rocket. Haston said due to both the size of the load and the size of the rocket itself, the range clearing area covered an area expanding approximately 60 miles from the launch site.

Range clearing is one of the many tasks that the Airmen of the 920th RQW are charged with. The premier combat-search-and-rescue wing Airmen are trained to provide search and rescue services in humanitarian and combat environments.

According to the United Launch Alliance, the rocket launched with the Mobile User Objective System-2 satellite, which will ensure continued mission capability of the existing ultra-high frequency satellite communications system, and represents deployment of the second satellite in the next-generation narrowband tactical satellite communications system that will provide significantly improved and assured communications for the mobile military members.

The MUOS will ultimately provide military users with10 times more communications capacity over existing systems, including simultaneous voice and data, leveraging 3G mobile communications technology. The MUOS-2 satellite will cover approximately a third of the Earth's surface.