Artemis II is set to launch into space next week. Meet the astronauts' rescue crew
CBS News • • science
Key Points:
- The Artemis II mission, set to launch from Kennedy Space Center as early as Wednesday, will be the first crewed moon mission since 1972, involving a nine-day, nearly half a million-mile round trip to orbit the moon's far side and return to Earth.
- NASA considers Artemis II a test flight and has prepared for all contingencies, with a global Air Force rescue team, Detachment 3, on standby to assist the crew in case of emergencies.
- Detachment 3 conducts rigorous training for astronaut rescue operations, including mid-launch abort scenarios where pararescue jumpers deploy from a C-17 aircraft with survival equipment to recover astronauts from the water.
- The rescue team is equipped to sustain astronauts medically and logistically for 72 to 96 hours in uncertain conditions until further help arrives.
- Unit leader Lt. Colonel Kevin Pieper emphasized the critical responsibility of ensuring the crew's safe return and the importance of thorough rehearsals to prepare for any possible situation during the mission.
