Department of Defense, DOD, NASA Prop Fan Interactions Project

S64-14861 (1962) --- Department of Defense (DOD) recovery personnel and spacecraft technicians from NASA and McDonnell Aircraft Corp., inspect astronaut John Glenn's Mercury spacecraft, Friendship 7, following its return to Cape Canaveral after recovery in the Atlantic Ocean. Photo credit: NASA

Pictured here is a DC-XA Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) prototype concept with an RLV logo. The Delta Clipper-Experimental (DC-X) was originally developed by McDornell Douglas for the Department of Defense (DOD). The DC-XA is a single-stage-to-orbit, vertical takeoff/vertical landing, launch vehicle concept, whose development is geared to significantly reduce launch costs and will provide a test bed for NASA Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) technology as the Delta Clipper-Experimental Advanced (DC-XA).

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for a launch pad abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

Teams with NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) rehearse recovery procedures for an ascent abort scenario off the coast of Florida near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Utilizing mannequin crew members inside the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA) – a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft – the simulations practiced abort timelines and joint NASA and DoD recovery procedures supported by Artemis II launch and flight control teams, as NASA prepares to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

DOD/NASA PROP FAN INTERACTIONS PROJECT

The NASA and DoD Recovery Team aboard the USS John P. Murtha for the Underway Recovery Test 9 (URT-9).

The NASA and DoD Recovery Team aboard the USS John P. Murtha for the Underway Recovery Test 9 (URT-9).

S81-32876 (13 April 1981) --- Brig. Gen. William T. Twinting studies the monitor at the Department of Defense (DOD) console in the mission operations control room (MOCR) at the Johnson Space Center?s Mission Control Center (MCC). He is deputy DOD manager for Space Shuttle Support Operations. Gen. Twinting and the other flight controllers seen in the background listen as astronaut John W. Young, STS-1 commander, describes the scenery of a downlink TV transmission. Photo credit: NASA

S89-41096 (15 July 1989) --- The space shuttle Columbia was rolled to Launch Pad 39B on July 15 in preparation for its September 1989 Department of Defense (DOD)-devoted mission.

NASA and DoD members of the Artemis I recovery team run practice flight operations procedures aboard the USS Portland (LPD 27). The team is out at sea ahead of the Dec. 11 Orion splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

NASA and DoD members of the Artemis I recovery team run practice flight operations procedures aboard the USS Portland (LPD 27). The team is out at sea ahead of the Dec. 11 Orion splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

NASA and DoD members of the Artemis I recovery team run practice flight operations procedures aboard the USS Portland (LPD 27). The team is out at sea ahead of the Dec. 11 Orion splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

NASA and DoD members of the Artemis I recovery team run practice flight operations procedures aboard the USS Portland (LPD 27). The team is out at sea ahead of the Dec. 11 Orion splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

NASA and DoD members of the Artemis I recovery team run practice flight operations procedures aboard the USS Portland (LPD 27). The team is out at sea ahead of the Dec. 11 Orion splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

STS-38 Pilot Frank L. Culbertson holds a training version of the 70mm handheld HASSELBLAD camera he will be using on his upcoming Department of Defense (DOD) mission.

STS-53 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, Department of Defense (DOD) mission Hand-held Earth-oriented Real-time Cooperative, User-friendly, Location, targeting, and Environmental System (Hercules) spaceborne experiment equipment is documented in this table top view. HERCULES is a joint NAVY-NASA-ARMY payload designed to provide real-time high resolution digital electronic imagery and geolocation (latitude and longitude determination) of earth surface targets of interest. HERCULES system consists of (from left to right): a specially modified GRID Systems portable computer mounted atop NASA developed Playback-Downlink Unit (PDU) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) developed HERCULES Attitude Processor (HAP); the NASA-developed Electronic Still Camera (ESC) Electronics Box (ESCEB) including removable imagery data storage disks and various connecting cables; the ESC (a NASA modified Nikon F-4 camera) mounted atop the NRL HERCULES Inertial Measurement Unit (HIMU) containing the three-axis ring-laser gyro.

ISS037-E-025915 (4 Nov. 2013) --- In the International Space Station?s Kibo laboratory, NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins, Expedition 37 flight engineer, conducts a session with a pair of bowling-ball-sized free-flying satellites known as Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites, or SPHERES. Surrounding the two SPHERES mini-satellites is ring-shaped hardware known as the Resonant Inductive Near-field Generation System, or RINGS. SPHERES-RINGS seeks to demonstrate wireless power transfer between satellites at a distance for enhanced operations.

Astronaut Shannon Walker prepares to release a weather balloon from the deck of the USS Portland alongside members of the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron ahead of the splashdown of the Orion spacecraft on Dec. 11. NASA's Landing and Recovery team works alongside the DoD to safely recover Orion after Artemis missions to the Moon.

Astronaut Shannon Walker prepares to release a weather balloon from the deck of the USS Portland alongside members of the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron ahead of the splashdown of the Orion spacecraft on Dec. 11. NASA's Landing and Recovery team works alongside the DoD to safely recover Orion after Artemis missions to the Moon.

S89-40392 (12 July 1989) --- Inside KSC's giant vehicle assembly building, Space Shuttle Columbia is mated to two solid rocket boosters (SRB) and an external fuel tank as preparations continue for an early September launch. The mission is scheduled as a DOD-devoted flight, set for launch early next month.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The orbiter Discovery, its wheels retracted atop the orbiter transporter, rolls over from the OPF high bay to the VAB. Discovery is slated to lift off in March on mission STS-39, a DoD flight carrying a crew of seven. Photo credit: NASA

STS033-03-008 (22-27 Nov 1989) --- Astronaut Frederick D. Gregory, STS-33 commander, displays a letter from a special group of well-wishers. The letter is signed by the superintendent of Department of Defense Dependents School in Japan. It was carried onboard Discovery for the five-day DOD-devoted mission.

NASA and DOD members of the Artemis I recovery team listen to a safety briefing before going underway aboard the USS Portland (LPD 27). The team heads out to sea ahead of the Dec. 11 Orion splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

A C-17 Globemaster aircraft from the Alaska Air National Guard’s 249th Airlift Squadron flies overhead as pararescue specialists from the 304th Rescue Squadron, located in Portland, Oregon complete an astronaut rescue training exercise inside a covered life raft on the Atlantic Ocean. The pararescue specialists, supporting the 45th Operations Group’s Detachment 3, based out of Patrick Air Force Base, conducted the exercise in April with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and SpaceX off of Florida’s eastern coast. The specially designed 20-person life raft is equipped with enough food, water and medical supplies to sustain both rescuers and crew for up to three days, if necessary. In this situation, the Department of Defense (DOD) would complete the rescue by enlisting help from the US Coast Guard, a DOD ship, or a nearby commercial ship of opportunity to transport the crew to safety.

Pararescue specialists from the 304th Rescue Squadron, located in Portland, Oregon and supporting the 45th Operations Group’s Detachment 3, based out of Patrick Air Force Base, secure a covered life raft as the sun sets during an astronaut rescue training exercise with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and SpaceX off of Florida’s eastern coast in April. The specially designed 20-person life raft is equipped with enough food, water and medical supplies to sustain both rescuers and crew for up to three days, if necessary. In this situation, the Department of Defense (DOD) would complete the rescue by enlisting help from the US Coast Guard, a DOD ship, or a nearby commercial ship of opportunity to transport the crew to safety.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission is seen illuminated by lights at Launch Complex 39A, Monday, June 24, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be launched. The three hour launch window opens at 11:30pm EDT on June 24. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Contrails are seen illuminated in the sky as the Sun begins to rise following the launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission launches from Launch Complex 39A, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be put into orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches on the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches on the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission is seen illuminated by spotlights at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches on the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches on the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

In this twenty-second exposure, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches on the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

The two side boosters of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission are seen as they begin their landing burns to return to Landing Zone 1, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be put into orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches on the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission is seen illuminated by lights at Launch Complex 39A, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be put into orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission launches from Launch Complex 39A, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be put into orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission is seen at Launch Complex 39A, Monday, June 24, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be launched. The three hour launch window opens at 11:30pm EDT on June 24. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission is seen illuminated by lights at Launch Complex 39A, Monday, June 24, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be launched. The three hour launch window opens at 11:30pm EDT on June 24. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission launches from Launch Complex 39A, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be put into orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission launches from Launch Complex 39A, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be put into orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission launches from Launch Complex 39A, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be put into orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission launches from Launch Complex 39A, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be put into orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

The two side boosters of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission are seen as they conduct a boost back burn to return to Landing Zone 1, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be put into orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission is seen illuminated by spotlights at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches on the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission launches from Launch Complex 39A, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be put into orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches on the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission is seen at Launch Complex 39A, Monday, June 24, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be launched. The three hour launch window opens at 11:30pm EDT on June 24. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission is seen at Launch Complex 39A, Monday, June 24, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be launched. The three hour launch window opens at 11:30pm EDT on June 24. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission is seen illuminated by lights at Launch Complex 39A, Monday, June 24, 2019 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Four NASA technology and science payloads which will study non-toxic spacecraft fuel, deep space navigation, "bubbles" in the electrically-charged layers of Earth's upper atmosphere, and radiation protection for satellites are among the two dozen satellites that will be launched. The three hour launch window opens at 11:30pm EDT on June 24. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

On August 8, 1989, the 4th mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DOD), STS-28, lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC) launch pad 39B. The five day mission included a crew of five: Richard N. (Dick) Richards, pilot; Brewster H. Shaw, commander; and mission specialists David C. Leestma, Mark N. Brown, and James C. (Jim) Adamson.

The STS-36 mission launch aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis on February 28, 1990 at 2:50:22am (EST). The crew featured five astronauts who served in the 6th Department of Defense (DOD) mission: John H. Creighton, commander; John H. Caster, pilot; and mission specialists Pierre J. Thuot, Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, and David. C. Hilmers.

STS028-S-008 (8 Aug 1989) --- A side view shows Columbia clearing the launch tower during the STS-28 liftoff. Columbia renews spaceflight after a period of three and a half years, this time with five crewmembers aboard for a DOD-devoted mission. Onboard the spacecraft are Astronauts Brewster H. Shaw Jr., Richard N. Richards, David C. Leestma, James C. Adamson and Mark N. Brown. The last time Columbia was in space was in January of 1986.

STS-36 Commander John O. Creighton, smiling and wearing a headset, listens to music as the tape recorder freefloats in front of him. During this lighter moment of the mission, Creighton is positioned at the commanders station on the forward flight deck of Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104. Forward flight deck windows W1 and W2 appear on his left. Creighton and four other astronauts spent four days, 10 hours and 19 minutes aboard the spacecraft for the Department of Defense (DOD) devoted mission.

STS-36 Mission Specialist (MS) David C. Hilmers points the large-format AEROLINHOF camera out overhead window W7 on the aft flight deck of Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104. Hilmers records Earth imagery using the camera. Hilmers and four other astronauts spent four days, 10 hours and 19 minutes aboard OV-104 for the Department of Defense (DOD) devoted mission.

The crew assigned to the STS-51C mission included (kneeling in front left to right) Loren J. Schriver, pilot; and Thomas K. Mattingly, II, commander. Standing, left to right, are Gary E. Payton, payload specialist; and mission specialists James F. Buchli, and Ellison L. Onzuka. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on January 24, 1985 at 2:50:00 pm (EST), the STS-51C was the first mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DOD).

The crew assigned to the STS-51J mission included (seated left to right) Robert L. Stewart, mission specialist; Karol J. Bobko, commander; and Ronald J. Grabe, pilot. On the back row, left to right, are mission specialists David C. Hilmers, and Major Willliam A, Pailles (USAF). Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on October 3, 1985 at 11:15:30 am (EDT), the STS-51J mission was the second mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DOD).

On November 22, 1989, at 7:23:30pm (EST), five astronauts were launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery for the 5th Department of Defense (DOD) mission, STS-33. Crew members included Frederick D. Gregory, commander; John E. Blaha, pilot; and mission specialists Kathryn C. Thornton, Manley L. (Sonny) Carter, and F. Story Musgrave.

During the first full mission profile test of the recovery procedures for Artemis I, NASA’s Landing and Recovery team met their objectives. The team works with members of the DoD to hone their procedures before Orion splashes down in the Pacific as part of NASA’s Artemis program. During Underway Recovery Test-8, two divers from EOD Mobile Unit 3, MDS Company 3-1work the tending line while a test version of Orion is being pulled into the well deck of the USS John P. Murtha.

STS038-S-041 (20 Nov 1990) --- STS-38 Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, lands on runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). The main landing gear (MLG) has just touched down on the runway surface as the nose landing gear (NLG) glides above it. The Department of Defense (DOD)-devoted mission came to an end (with complete wheel stop) at 4:43:37 pm (Eastern Standard Time (EST)).

The official STS-38 crew portrait includes the following 5 astronauts (front left to right): Frank L. Culbertson, pilot; and Richard O. Covey, commander. Standing (left to right) are mission specialists (MS) Charles D. (Sam) Gemar, (MS-3), Robert C. Springer, (MS-1), and Carl J. Meade, (MS-2). The seventh mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DOD), the STS-38 crew launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on November 15, 1990 at 6:48:15 pm (EST).