LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Four Raptors returned here after circling the Space Coast prior to Atlantis' liftoff June 8.
The F-22A pilots, assigned to the
94th Fighter Squadron, provided air patrol over the Kennedy Space Center and the greater Cape Canaveral area in support of
Operation Noble Eagle before the STS-117 shuttle launch.
"It was a great experience and an honor to fly over the space shuttle and be a part of the event," said Capt. Brian Urban, 94th FS pilot.
The 94th is one of units throughout the United States that supports Operation Noble Eagle by providing Airmen and combat-ready aircraft to support and defend national assets as directed by the
North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD.
Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow, 1st Air Force and Continental U.S. NORAD Region commander, said the Raptors are a significant deterrent force in America's air defense mission.
"The Raptor's speed, range, maneuverability and lethality are tailor-made for air defense missions that protect America's greatest assets," said General Morrow, "and NASA's manned space program is right at the top."
Although not in response to any specific threat, the sorties are an important element in the overall homeland defense mission.
Air defense sorties are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure public safety while displaying NORAD's rapid response capability. The Continental U.S. NORAD Region, under its parent command NORAD, has conducted air patrols throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle -- the command's response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. (1st Air Force contributed to this article.)
Did you know ...
- Atlantis is carrying a metal cargo tag from the Jamestown colony in Virginia. The tag is about 400 years old and bears the words "Yames Towne." It is being taken into space in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown's settlement in 1607. After the flight, the tag will be returned to the Jamestown Historical Society to join other artifacts in a museum.
- According to NASA's Web site, the purpose of Mission STS-117 is to increase the International Space Station's power capability and prepare it for the arrival of new modules from the European and Japanese space agencies.
- There are more than 2,020 separate displays and controls on the space shuttle's flight deck. Four astronauts sit on the flight deck during launch: the commander, pilot and two mission specialists who serve as flight engineers. The rest of the crew, all mission specialists, sit on the middeck, or lower level of the orbiter's crew compartment for launch and landing.
- STS-117 is the 118th space shuttle flight, the 21st flight to the station and the 28th flight for Atlantis.
For more information on Mission STS-117, visit the
STS-117 launch blog.