WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The release noted that tests were being conducted by NASA and the US Defense Department.
"Forty-five members of the New York Air National Guard's 106th Airlift Wing are heading to Hawaii on Monday, Feb. 27 to participate," the release stated.
The National Guard team includes parachuting scuba divers, who are trained to rescue airplane pilots and passengers in open water crashes, the release explained.
The Orion spacecraft is designed to carry a crew of four astronauts to the Moon and eventually to Mars.
The 2018 flight was originally planned as an unmanned test of the Orion. However, NASA recently announced that it is exploring the possibility of placing astronauts in the spacecraft for the Moon flight.
