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It was only a drill, but the scenario played out like a real space shuttle launch-day emergency. The ocean search and rescue drill was a cooperative effort between NASA and the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. It simulated an emergency situation where a space shuttle crew would need to bail out of their orbiter after liftoff and be rescued from the Atlantic Ocean. The exercise -- known as Mode eight -- was made as realistic as possible with complicated medical and communications challenges that would be experienced in a real bail-out situation.