HIANG, Ready to Support NASA Artemis II Astronaut Recovery Mission

Photo By Senior Airman Aden Brown | A U.S. Air Force pararescueman walks to an aircraft, standing by to support potential contingency rescue operations for the Artemis II mission in the Pacific Ocean. The 10-day Artemis II mission sent four astronauts around the Moon and safely back, marking a critical step in NASA’s return to lunar exploration. The mission concluded with a Pacific Ocean recovery led by NASA and supported by the Department of War. U.S. Space Command provided overarching command and control, while Air Forces Space and First Air Force Detachment 3 coordinated specialized rescue and recovery capabilities. The U.S. Navy executed the at-sea recovery of the Orion capsule and crew, validating the joint force’s ability to support future deep-space missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Aden Brown)  

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, UNITED STATES

04.10.2026

Story by Senior Airman Roann Gatdula 

CONR-1AF (AFNORTH and AFSPACE)   

The Hawaii Air National Guard (HIANG) maintained lifesaving rescue capabilities to NASA's space crews in the Artemis II mission, ready at a moments notice at both Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH), Hawaii and Joint Base Charleston (JBC), South Carolina, April 1-10.

Aircrews from the 204th Airlift Squadron (204AS), alongside maintenance personnel from the 154th Maintenance Group (154MXG), prepared C-17 Globemaster III jets, loading them with rescue craft and survival equipment, ensuring the aircraft and crews were ready to execute a rapid-response contingency search and rescue mission if NASA called upon them.

“In the event something goes wrong with the landing trajectory, we have the capability to launch and rescue the astronauts when the capsule lands in the water,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Skip Saito, 204th Airlift Squadron commander. “We’ve been training for years for this and it feels great to be able to support.”

The Artemis II is NASA's first crewed mission of the Artemis program, designed as a 10-day test flight orbiting the Moon to validate systems for deep space exploration. Launching four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, it is the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years, paving the way for future lunar surface landings.

During the initial launch of the Orion spacecraft on April 1, C-17s and crews, along with teams of specially trained Air Force Pararescuemen (PJs) - elite special operations forces tasked with rescuing, treating, and recovering personnel in hostile or restricted environments - maintained a constant alert posture ready for immediate dispatch from JBPHH and JBC.

Upon the spacecraft’s reentry to Earth on April 10, the 204AS received NASA’s alert activation notice and took off from JBPHH, allowing for a head start in case search and rescue in the vast Pacific Ocean be required. At JBC, crews remained vigilant for immediate takeoff should an off-nominal landing take place in the Atlantic.

Aircrews and PJs weren’t the only key players, the mission required a total team effort. Logistics and air transportation Airmen played a critical role, inspecting and rigging several tons of rescue equipment for airdrop.

“It’s a huge team effort, our loadmasters are in charge of all the cargo and they go hand-in-hand with the pararescue guardian angel team,” said Saito. “But the loggie (logistics) and the port dawgs (Air Transportation Specialists) played a huge role helping to ensure we were not only ready to go, but ready to go safely.”

Training for the mission had been years in the making. The HIANG built a strong working relationship through joint exercises with pararescue teams from the California and Alaska Air National Guard, ensuring seamless integration when it matters most.

Ultimately, the Orion spacecraft landed safely in the Pacific, and contingency search and rescue was not required. However, if needed, aircrews would have flown to the capsule’s last known location and conducted coordinated search patterns, using tools like illumination flares during nighttime operations to help visually locate the astronauts.

Once the capsule was found, loadmasters would deploy the pararescue team and their equipment via airdrop, initiating recovery operations and providing immediate medical aid.

“We work hand-in-hand with the guardian angel teams - the pararescue men,” Saito said. “Integration is key as we employ a mixture of Guard, Reserve, and active-duty, and whoever is on alert at the time.”

Since 1959, the Department of War has collaborated with NASA to support human space flight support operations. The Hawaii Air National Guard’s support for the NASA mission is a continuation of a decades-long partnership and continues to contribute to the future success of human spaceflight, U.S. national space policies and programs, and international cooperation in space.

• Date Taken: 04.10.2026
• Date Posted: 04.23.2026 09:22
• Story ID: 562727
• Location: JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US