45th Weather Squadron supports joint recovery operations in human spaceflight

The U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron, part of Space Launch Delta 45, is stepping into a broader role that stretches well beyond launch day forecasting, serving as a linchpin for global astronaut rescue and recovery operations across the military, civilian, and interagency landscape.

Working with 1st Air Force, Detachment 3, the squadron supplies weather intelligence to rescue forces staged at multiple sites, including Patrick Space Force Base, Joint Base Charleston, and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The goal: ensure that if an abort or emergency occurs during ascent, orbit, or re-entry, recovery teams can move quickly and safely to wherever a capsule may land.

“The mission doesn’t stop once the rocket clears the tower,” said Maj. Freddie Spates, assistant director of operations, 45th Weather Squadron. “Our Airmen are part of a joint and interagency team that ensures astronauts can survive landing and that recovery forces can reach them safely.”

That collaboration is particularly visible during re-entry and splashdown phases. In support of NASA’s Artemis program, 45th Weather Squadron Airmen have deployed with 1st Air Force personnel aboard a U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock to embed directly with recovery units. Onboard, they launch weather balloons to capture upper-atmospheric profiles that feed real-time decisions about where and when to position ships and aircraft.

“That data is critical not just for one organization, but for the entire recovery enterprise,” said Spates. “It feeds NASA’s forecasting models and helps ensure ships, aircraft, and personnel are positioned safely during recovery operations.”

NASA’s Spaceflight Meteorology Group uses these measurements to tighten trajectory predictions for the Orion capsule as it descends through the atmosphere. At the same time, a four-person team of engineers from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, also embarked aboard the recovery ship, uses specialized software known as Sasquatch to estimate the debris footprint that results when hardware separates during re-entry and descent—information that helps keep crews and assets clear of hazardous zones.

The squadron’s leaders describe contingency support as a fundamentally different challenge than launch weather monitoring. While launch forecasting is localized and focused on clearing a vehicle for liftoff, recovery operations span vast distances, with priorities centered on crew survival, responder safety, and rapid decision-making in fast-changing conditions.

“Standard launch support is about getting a rocket safely into space,” said Spates. “Contingency support is about ensuring astronauts can survive landing and that recovery forces can reach them, no matter where they are in the world.”

During re-entry, forecasters track a suite of variables on the ocean and in the atmosphere—wind, wave height, lightning, precipitation, and cloud ceilings—that can affect both the capsule’s stability and responders’ access. Severe sea states can complicate a stabilized posture for the spacecraft, and convective weather can halt or delay medical and recovery flights.

“Weather poses a dual threat during recovery,” said Spates. “It can physically impact the astronauts inside the capsule and also prevent rescue forces from reaching them in time.”

To sharpen accuracy, the team blends global numerical models with satellite observations and data from deep-ocean sensors. High-resolution soundings from ship-launched balloons offer detail that conventional forecasts can miss, enabling forecasters to iterate quickly as conditions evolve.

“We’re constantly refining the forecast as new data comes in,” said Spates. “Frequent updates ensure our partners have the most accurate information possible to make time-critical decisions.”

Officials say the result is a tightly integrated operation, pairing military precision with civilian spaceflight expertise to manage risk in some of the most complex environments on Earth. As human spaceflight activity grows, they add, the demand for this kind of end-to-end weather support will only increase.

“It’s extremely rewarding to know that our work plays a direct role in ensuring the safety of astronauts and recovery crews,” said Spates. “There’s a strong sense of pride knowing the data we provide is critical to mission success.”