NASA Plans Test of Recovery Techniques for Orion Spacecraft - US National Guard

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is preparing to test rescue and recovery techniques needed for the Orion space craft’s ocean splash down following a 2018 voyage to the Moon, the New York Air National Guard disclosed in a press release on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The release noted that tests were being conducted by NASA and the US Defense Department.

"Forty-five members of the New York Air National Guard's 106th Airlift Wing are heading to Hawaii on Monday, Feb. 27 to participate," the release stated.

The National Guard team includes parachuting scuba divers, who are trained to rescue airplane pilots and passengers in open water crashes, the release explained.

The Orion spacecraft is designed to carry a crew of four astronauts to the Moon and eventually to Mars.

The 2018 flight was originally planned as an unmanned test of the Orion. However, NASA recently announced that it is exploring the possibility of placing astronauts in the spacecraft for the Moon flight.