CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — When Space Force’s future first astronaut, U.S. Air Force Col. Michael Hopkins stepped onto the SpaceX capsule for Crew 1 liftoff Sunday, 21 of Space Force’s “Guardian Angels” were at the ready to rescue him should he need to abort and splashdown anywhere on earth.

“The dudes jump out of the aircraft in the middle of the ocean,” Joint Operations Center Director Air Force Lieut. Col. David Mahan told the Washington Examiner in describing a potential emergency scenario.