Itâs Nov. 13, two days before a historic rocket launch and a helicopter pilot approaches a cargo jet on a clear Friday morning at JBPH-H. He is carrying a black box and surrounded by movement; truckloads of rescue crafts and personnel are loaded onto the airframe, prepping the jet to save astronauts in the event of a premature water landing.
U.S. Space Force Capt. Richard Burges, an HH-60 Pave Hawk pilot, steps onto the C-17 Globemaster III, cracks open the case and connects an apparatus to a side-panel near the door. This roll-on equipment adds the Search and Rescue capability to the C-17â one that was not intended for the aircraftâs original design.