Space

Giant Leaps Begin at Johnson for NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Leader Chip Hague

.As the center of individual spaceflight, NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston accommodates a range of distinct tasks as well as benefits. Those consist of being actually the home of NASA's astronaut corps.Among those astronauts-- Nick Hague-- is now preparing to release to the International Space Station in addition to Roscosmos astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov on the nine spinning objective under NASA's Industrial Team Program. This will certainly be the 3rd launch and 2nd objective to the space station for Hague, that was decided on as a NASA astronaut in 2013 and has actually devoted 203 days precede.Hague was born as well as elevated in Kansas however has actually crisscrossed the country for college and also job. He got levels from the United States Sky Troop School in Colorado and the Massachusetts Principle of Modern Technology in Cambridge, as well as he went to the united state Aviation service Exam Fly School at Edwards Aviation Service Foundation in The Golden State. Hague's armed forces occupation has taken him to New Mexico, Colorado, Virginia, and also Washington, D.C., as well as featured a five-month implementation to Iraq. Hague transferred from the Air Force to the USA Space Force in 2020 after functioning as the Space Force's director of examination and also assessment at the Pentagon.Familiar with brand-new places, Hague strongly remembers creating his very first excursion to Johnson when he was actually speaking with to participate in NASA's rocketeer corps. "I possessed no tip what to count on, as well as it was a bit mind-boggling. I recognized everyone was actually viewing me as well as judging me," he mentioned. "The good news is, even though I had not been decided on then, I acquired yet another chance a couple of years later. It is actually a quite enchanting place.".Hague accomplished his astronaut training in July 2015 as aspect of NASA's 21st rocketeer class. He was the first astronaut from that team to become delegated to an objective, which released in October 2018 yet was aborted soon after takeoff. His next spaceflight developed in 2019, when he participated in 3 of his friends-- NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Christina Koch, as well as Andrew Morgan-- aboard the International Space Station for Expeditions 59 as well as 60.Hague has actually created many moments at Johnson, however one that stands apart is his experience functioning onsite in the middle of the 2013 authorities shutdown. "I am actually active-duty armed forces so I still came to function," he revealed. "I bear in mind being onsite and also the center being actually completely unfilled. Being able to use around a vacant school on the free-range bikes-- it was serene and also unique." It was likewise a sneak peek of what many Johnson employees experienced in the course of the pandemic as well as how NASA keeps nonstop assistance for spaceflight procedures irrespective of extenuating circumstances.Hague currently expects yet another experience to reduced Planet track. NASA and SpaceX authorities currently organize to introduce the Crew-9 goal no earlier than Wednesday, Sept. 25. The workers will certainly ascend from Release Intricate 40 coming from the Peninsula Canaveral Area Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as well as Dragon space probe.Hague and Gorbonov are going to become members of the Expedition 72 crew aboard the terminal. They will certainly sign up with NASA rocketeers Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, as well as Don Pettit, and also Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and also Ivan Vagner, as well as will definitely devote regarding 6 months conducting medical investigation in microgravity and also finishing a stable of operational activities prior to returning home.Even more information about the goal as well as team can be found by following the Crew-9 blog site, @commercial_crew on X, or even office team on Facebook. You can easily additionally adhere to @astrohague on X and Instagram.