WEBVTT 00:04.217 --> 00:06.506 - [Voiceover] As NASA prepares for a return 00:06.506 --> 00:07.833 to human space flight, 00:07.833 --> 00:10.315 there is a need for contingency planning 00:10.315 --> 00:13.148 in the event of a rescue scenario. 00:13.977 --> 00:15.704 It is the United States Air Force's 00:15.704 --> 00:18.121 45th Space Wing Detachment 3, 00:18.258 --> 00:21.008 Human Space Flight Support Office 00:21.121 --> 00:24.621 who gets the call to organize that effort. 00:25.116 --> 00:27.170 And they tap the elete warriors of the 00:27.170 --> 00:30.114 Guardian Angel community comprised of 00:30.114 --> 00:33.531 combat rescue officers and pararescuemen. 00:34.409 --> 00:37.041 Their paramedic level skill set, 00:37.041 --> 00:40.776 along with their ability to insert anywhere around the world 00:40.776 --> 00:43.676 in any environment under any conditions, 00:43.676 --> 00:46.176 makes them the team of choice. 00:46.912 --> 00:48.975 - It's great to be working with NASA again 00:48.975 --> 00:50.191 ^on this historic mission 00:50.191 --> 00:51.773 ^and with the great support team that we have, 00:51.773 --> 00:54.181 ^including the Hawaii Air National Guard C-17s 00:54.181 --> 00:55.938 ^out of the 154th Air Wing. 00:55.938 --> 00:57.861 ^We also have the 45th Ops Group 00:57.861 --> 00:59.854 ^and the 88th Test supporting us 00:59.854 --> 01:02.391 as well as Marine Corps Base K Bank 01:02.391 --> 01:03.894 that allows us the flexibility for both 01:03.894 --> 01:05.814 jump and water work as we create 01:05.814 --> 01:08.725 the tactics, techniques, and procedures necessary 01:08.725 --> 01:12.384 to advance forward the future of manned space flight. 01:12.384 --> 01:14.177 - [Voiceover] Anything that NASA needs 01:14.177 --> 01:15.803 from the Department of Defense, resource wise, 01:15.803 --> 01:18.202 to conduct their human space flight missions 01:18.202 --> 01:19.494 they go through us. 01:19.494 --> 01:21.097 They knock on our door and say, 01:21.097 --> 01:23.299 ^"Hey, we're doing this human space flight mission, 01:23.299 --> 01:26.459 ^whatever it is, and we can't do X, Y, and Z 01:26.459 --> 01:29.709 ^with anyone else. There's no commercial 01:30.404 --> 01:32.483 ^equipment or resources out there that 01:32.483 --> 01:34.082 ^we can go contract with. 01:34.082 --> 01:36.359 ^The DoD has these unique capabilities. 01:36.359 --> 01:39.873 ^We'd like to use them in whatever capacity." 01:39.873 --> 01:41.499 ^And at the Det, we say, "Okay.' 01:41.499 --> 01:44.512 ^We look at that, and we go out to the larger DoD 01:44.512 --> 01:46.214 ^and figure out what resources the DoD has 01:46.214 --> 01:48.954 ^that can be able to accomplish that request. 01:48.954 --> 01:50.123 ^Then we go back to them, 01:50.123 --> 01:51.946 and we just start coordinating. 01:51.946 --> 01:53.353 The unit's really unique, 01:53.353 --> 01:56.186 because it does all aspects of it. 01:56.242 --> 01:57.848 So it takes that request. 01:57.848 --> 01:58.924 It coordinates it. 01:58.924 --> 02:01.099 Once we have a plan in place for how 02:01.099 --> 02:02.227 we're going to use the resources, 02:02.227 --> 02:03.966 we plan that out, and then 02:03.966 --> 02:05.695 we train the forces that are 02:05.695 --> 02:07.377 going to be participating, 02:07.377 --> 02:09.458 and then we execute the mission. 02:09.458 --> 02:11.516 Those resources could come from anywhere. 02:11.516 --> 02:12.349 It's a total force. 02:12.349 --> 02:13.182 We pull from active duty. 02:13.182 --> 02:14.182 We pull from the Guard. 02:14.182 --> 02:15.873 We pull from the Reserves. 02:15.873 --> 02:17.086 For the Commercial Crew Program, 02:17.086 --> 02:19.271 which is what I'm the Division Chief of, 02:19.271 --> 02:20.741 right now, we're in the planning phase. 02:20.741 --> 02:22.830 We're just about to get into the execution phase. 02:22.830 --> 02:24.116 So during that planning phase, 02:24.116 --> 02:26.373 we're relying on the pararescue community. 02:26.373 --> 02:29.873 The Guardian Angel weapon system, the PJs, 02:29.942 --> 02:32.319 are the force that has been chose as 02:32.319 --> 02:35.475 the main rescue force for our mission. 02:35.475 --> 02:38.436 So right now, we're working with that community 02:38.436 --> 02:39.840 as a whole, and we have here 02:39.840 --> 02:41.577 at Century Aloha, we have the 02:41.577 --> 02:44.410 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron. 02:45.311 --> 02:47.851 They're the Guardian Angel test unit. 02:47.851 --> 02:49.818 They're pulling from the experience 02:49.818 --> 02:51.482 from the 106th Rescue Wing, 02:51.482 --> 02:52.955 the New York Air National Guard, 02:52.955 --> 02:55.811 and then we're also using the C-17s here in Hawaii, 02:55.811 --> 02:58.311 the Hawaii Air National Guard, 02:58.337 --> 03:00.392 to conduct this exercise, to practice these 03:00.392 --> 03:03.016 techniques and procedures that are going to apply 03:03.016 --> 03:05.599 to the rescue mission for NASA. 03:06.119 --> 03:09.020 - [Voiceover] We're Detachment 3, 45th Operations Group 03:09.020 --> 03:10.456 out of Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. 03:10.456 --> 03:11.778 ^We're the Department of Defense's 03:11.778 --> 03:13.786 ^Human Space Flight Support Office. 03:13.786 --> 03:15.574 ^Operationally, we fall under the commander 03:15.574 --> 03:16.407 ^of U.S. STRATCOM. 03:16.407 --> 03:19.154 ^Administratively, we fall under the 03:19.154 --> 03:20.722 ^the Air Force Space Command. 03:20.722 --> 03:23.389 ^With us is the 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron 03:23.389 --> 03:25.786 ^out of Nellis Air Force Base. 03:25.786 --> 03:27.842 Additionally, we have our NASA individual 03:27.842 --> 03:30.327 with us as the NASA Neutral Buoyancy Lab, 03:30.327 --> 03:32.300 who builds all the equipment that our 03:32.300 --> 03:34.013 guys are going to be working with and jumping with 03:34.013 --> 03:35.490 that you'll be seeing. 03:35.490 --> 03:37.623 We also have the Hawaii Air National Guard 154th Wing 03:37.623 --> 03:39.372 and all of the support element, the PA and the 03:39.372 --> 03:41.295 facilities and the air frames and the air crews 03:41.295 --> 03:43.246 that have been supporting this operation. 03:43.246 --> 03:45.662 Then finally, the only reason why we're here 03:45.662 --> 03:47.525 is because of the New York Air National Guard 03:47.525 --> 03:48.979 106th Rescue Wing. 03:48.979 --> 03:51.622 Without this Century Aloha Operation 03:51.622 --> 03:53.120 that you guys had set up initially, 03:53.120 --> 03:55.065 we wouldn't be here doing this 03:55.065 --> 03:56.514 initial historic event. 03:56.514 --> 03:58.031 - [Voiceover] The key thing that I'm looking to 03:58.031 --> 03:59.576 get from this operation, 03:59.576 --> 04:02.319 ^from the New York Air National Guard, 04:02.319 --> 04:04.359 ^is their expertise in rescue in 04:04.359 --> 04:06.359 ^open water environments, 04:06.685 --> 04:07.865 ^in closed-space environments, 04:07.865 --> 04:09.159 ^high-angle rescue and things like that, 04:09.159 --> 04:10.465 ^swift-water rescue. 04:10.465 --> 04:11.959 ^I don't bring that expertise to the table. 04:11.959 --> 04:15.031 NASA doesn't currently have a lot of that expertise. 04:15.031 --> 04:17.053 In my branch, where we're developing 04:17.053 --> 04:18.309 a lot of this hardware, what I'm doing is 04:18.309 --> 04:20.894 I'm exposing those folks to the hardware 04:20.894 --> 04:22.378 and the operations that I want to see 04:22.378 --> 04:23.509 them do in the future and 04:23.509 --> 04:25.654 get their feedback now during my prototype. 04:25.654 --> 04:28.148 So by the time I give them version two or three 04:28.148 --> 04:30.099 or the actual flight version of the GSE, 04:30.099 --> 04:31.304 these folks have had... 04:31.304 --> 04:32.795 From day one, they've had the input 04:32.795 --> 04:36.147 to make the recommended changes and modifications. 04:36.147 --> 04:39.793 We either add or take away features or mechanisms. 04:39.793 --> 04:42.795 So when they get the real hardware on the actual day, 04:42.795 --> 04:44.581 it's the hardware they've helped develop, 04:44.581 --> 04:48.026 they've tested, they've trained, and they've practiced on. 04:48.026 --> 04:50.064 - [Voiceover] The Century Aloha Exercise 04:50.064 --> 04:51.674 presented a window of opportunity 04:51.674 --> 04:55.442 allowing guardsmen of both the 103rd Rescue Squadron 04:55.442 --> 04:59.496 of the New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing 04:59.496 --> 05:03.329 and the Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Wing 05:03.510 --> 05:06.177 204th Flying Squadron to fold in 05:06.349 --> 05:09.932 testing of NASA's ground support equipment. 05:11.373 --> 05:14.027 ^- As rescue specialists, we have the capability 05:14.027 --> 05:17.969 ^to perform an open-ocean search and rescue mission. 05:17.969 --> 05:20.630 We're going to deploy from a C-17 aircraft 05:20.630 --> 05:22.930 with our hard duct-configured boats. 05:22.930 --> 05:25.063 We're going to make our way over to the 05:25.063 --> 05:26.387 space vehicle, where we're going to 05:26.387 --> 05:28.709 render aid, if necessary, to the astronauts. 05:28.709 --> 05:30.796 We're going to stay there with the astronauts 05:30.796 --> 05:33.588 until other rescue assets are on scene. 05:33.588 --> 05:35.879 Then we will bring those astronauts home. 05:35.879 --> 05:37.716 - [Voiceover] Historically, human space flight in the U.S. 05:37.716 --> 05:40.190 ^has fallen completely under the NASA umbrella. 05:40.190 --> 05:41.792 ^They've been responsible for all of it. 05:41.792 --> 05:44.047 ^And now, we've got these two commercial companies 05:44.047 --> 05:45.141 ^that are responsible. 05:45.141 --> 05:47.907 ^So you've got NASA, historically a very 05:47.907 --> 05:50.993 ^conservative, science-focused organization, 05:50.993 --> 05:53.088 ^and you've got the commercial companies 05:53.088 --> 05:54.892 ^with possibly different motivations. 05:54.892 --> 05:56.247 ^They're trying to be innovative. 05:56.247 --> 05:58.090 They're making use of technology. 05:58.090 --> 06:01.173 They're motivated to keep costs down. 06:01.436 --> 06:02.887 When you combine those two things together, 06:02.887 --> 06:04.644 it can pose challenges, 06:04.644 --> 06:06.718 but it's also really exciting. 06:06.718 --> 06:07.951 - [Voiceover] Time being our enemy is 06:07.951 --> 06:10.854 working out the bugs with this GSE, 06:10.854 --> 06:13.407 figuring out what works and what doesn't work, 06:13.407 --> 06:15.859 and then making those corrections, 06:15.859 --> 06:18.003 not just with the equipment itself 06:18.003 --> 06:19.824 that is going to interact with the capsule 06:19.824 --> 06:21.895 but how that equipment itself interacts with 06:21.895 --> 06:23.218 the deployment process, 06:23.218 --> 06:25.468 ^and if there's any problems along the way, 06:25.468 --> 06:27.226 ^that slows us down, because then we have to 06:27.226 --> 06:28.248 ^go back to the drawing board and do 06:28.248 --> 06:31.278 ^events like this again, so time is our enemy. 06:31.278 --> 06:32.400 ^That's the biggest challenge, 06:32.400 --> 06:34.965 ^getting it all done in time to be 06:34.965 --> 06:37.056 mission ready for that very first launch. 06:37.056 --> 06:38.752 ^- I've been developing the TTPs. 06:38.752 --> 06:41.281 ^The New York Air National Guard guys 06:41.281 --> 06:42.846 ^have stepped up and provided us 06:42.846 --> 06:45.837 ^the OT testers with the 103rd Rescue Squadron 06:45.837 --> 06:47.856 ^supporting this mission and 06:47.856 --> 06:50.684 ^how we're going to recover the commercial crew astronauts 06:50.684 --> 06:52.601 and the Orion aircraft. 06:52.855 --> 06:55.188 Having Det 3 NASA personnel, 06:55.240 --> 06:57.876 having an active duty operational test unit, 06:57.876 --> 07:00.007 having a Guard unit from New York, 07:00.007 --> 07:02.340 having a Hawaii C-17 crew... 07:02.832 --> 07:04.593 I think having all that stuff integrated 07:04.593 --> 07:07.642 for one exercise and to help one mission 07:07.642 --> 07:10.100 is very rare from what I've seen. 07:10.100 --> 07:12.089 A lot of our tests that we've done in the past... 07:12.089 --> 07:13.765 Usually, it's just active duty 07:13.765 --> 07:16.508 working with active duty or just the Guard guys 07:16.508 --> 07:18.277 and active duty sometimes paired up. 07:18.277 --> 07:20.005 But to have this many assets 07:20.005 --> 07:21.898 and this many different organizations 07:21.898 --> 07:23.416 come together for the same goal 07:23.416 --> 07:26.916 is a really good experience for all of us. 07:27.513 --> 07:29.769 - [Voiceover] The New York and Hawaii Air National Guard 07:29.769 --> 07:33.152 from Air Combat Command and Air Mobility Command 07:33.152 --> 07:36.371 teamed up with active duty pararescuemen 07:36.371 --> 07:37.550 who were present from the 07:37.550 --> 07:40.300 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron 07:40.342 --> 07:43.315 to conduct this first-time historic training. 07:43.315 --> 07:45.376 As the New York airmen jumped the NASA equipment 07:45.376 --> 07:46.978 packed in their boats out of the 07:46.978 --> 07:49.689 Hawaii C-17 Globemaster that provided 07:49.689 --> 07:53.856 the space, speed, and reach to carry out the operations. 07:56.255 --> 07:58.435 ^I think one of the biggest pride things 07:58.435 --> 08:00.202 ^to take away from this is the 08:00.202 --> 08:01.721 ^historical implications of the test. 08:01.721 --> 08:04.425 ^PJs have been doing this mission for years, decades. 08:04.425 --> 08:05.619 ^Decades prior to us, 08:05.619 --> 08:06.950 ^they've been doing the TAL sites 08:06.950 --> 08:09.348 ^and doing the NASA mission support, 08:09.348 --> 08:11.571 ^and to see the NASA program evolve into a 08:11.571 --> 08:13.462 ^commercial crew and seeing how it's 08:13.462 --> 08:16.498 taking on three different capsules instead of one, 08:16.498 --> 08:18.708 our crew feels it's coming together 08:18.708 --> 08:20.750 and establishing TTPs to keep us engaged. 08:20.750 --> 08:21.929 With everything else going on in the world, 08:21.929 --> 08:24.347 being able to support the NASA guys 08:24.347 --> 08:25.984 in that mission is a project that 08:25.984 --> 08:27.984 I think all of us enjoy.