NASA Astronaut Nick Hague to Become First Space Force Guardian to Launch to International Space Station
In a historic announcement, NASA astronaut Nick Hague has been selected as the first Space Force Guardian to embark on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Hague, who has already flown twice to space with the U.S. Air Force and NASA, will join the SpaceX Crew-9 mission scheduled for launch in August.
The collaboration between NASA and the Department of Defense dates back to the early days of the space program. In fact, the first U.S. astronauts in 1959 were recruited from the military for the Mercury program. Even today, approximately two-thirds of NASA astronauts have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, highlighting the strong ties between the two organizations. However, it was only in 2019 that Space Force was established as the sixth branch of the U.S. military.
Hague’s journey to becoming a Space Force Guardian began after his last mission to the ISS. In 2019, he took on a leadership role at the Pentagon with Space Force as its director of test and evaluation. While still in that position, Hague made the transition from the Air Force to Space Force in 2021, marking a significant milestone in his career.
This will be Hague’s third trip to space, although his first attempt was cut short. On October 11, 2018, his initial launch to the ISS was aborted mid-flight due to a deformed sensor on his Russian Soyuz rocket. Alongside Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, Hague safely landed back on Earth after the emergency. Reflecting on the experience, Hague remarked, “This is not the first in-flight emergency that I’ve been a part of,” citing his time as a test pilot and combat experience in the U.S. Air Force.
Following thorough investigations by Russian engineers, the root cause of the rocket failure was identified and addressed. Five months later, Hague successfully reached the ISS on a new Soyuz launch alongside NASA astronaut Christina Koch. In total, Hague has already spent 203 days in space, showcasing his expertise and resilience.
Joining Hague on the Crew-9 mission are cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov of Roscosmos, as well as two other NASA astronauts: Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson. While Cardman and Gorbunov will be embarking on their first spaceflight, Wilson brings her experience from three previous orbital missions, including the space shuttle Discovery mission STS-131 in April 2010.
Crew-9 will mark the ninth operational mission for SpaceX under NASA’s commercial crew program. The team is expected to spend approximately six months in space, conducting vital research and experiments aboard the ISS. The next SpaceX mission, Crew-8, is scheduled to launch no earlier than February 22, further demonstrating the continued progress and advancements in space exploration.
As NASA and Space Force continue to work together, this groundbreaking mission represents a significant milestone in the collaboration between the two organizations. With Nick Hague at the helm, the Crew-9 mission promises to push the boundaries of human exploration and pave the way for future endeavors in space.
