Who Is Nick Hague, A Key Figure In NASA's Stranded Astronaut Mission To Bring Back Sunita Williams & Others?

Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, are starting their journey back to Earth after an extended nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their stay in the space was extended aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule, but technical issues forced them to remain in space for much longer than planned.

The duo is set to leave the ISS early Tuesday morning, traveling aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that has been docked at the station since September. They are expected to splash down off the Florida coast in the evening.

Nick Hague is one of the four currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA's crew swap mission. Let us find out more about him:

Who is Nick Hague?

Born in 1975 in Belleville, Kansas, Hague grew up in Hoxie and graduated from Hoxie High School in 1994. He holds a bachelor's degree in Astronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master's degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from MIT.

His journey to space began in 2013 when he was selected as part of NASA's 21st astronaut class. "Hague was the first astronaut from his class to be assigned to a mission which launched on October 11, 2018. Unfortunately, he and his crewmate Alexey Ovchinin, of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, were forced to abort the mission when a rocket booster experienced a malfunction shortly after the launch of their Soyuz MS-10. The aborted spacecraft landed safely," his profile in the official website of NASA reads.

Nick Hague's Journey

Once Expeditions 59 and 60 was re-launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station in 2019, he along with with fellow Astronaut Christina Koch and the international crew of Expeditions 59 and 60 participated in hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science, including investigations into devices that mimic the structure and function of human organs, free-flying robots, and an instrument to measure Earth's distribution of carbon dioxide.

"Hague conducted three spacewalks during his mission, totalling 19 hours and 56 minutes with a total of 203 days in space. He and Ovchinin returned to Earth on October 4, 2019, along with the first United Arab Emirates astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri, who launched September 25, 2019 aboard the Soyuz MS-15," the website claims.

Hague returned to space in September 2024 as commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission, launching aboard the Crew Dragon "Freedom" alongside Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. This marks his second long-duration stay on the ISS, where he is conducting scientific research and technology demonstrations.

Hague's extensive experience, technical expertise, and leadership have earned him numerous accolades, including the NASA Spaceflight Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Russian Federation Order of Courage.

Family Details

Outside of his professional achievements, Hague is a family man, married to retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Catie Hague, with whom he has two sons. He enjoys flying, scuba diving, and snow skiing. Hague's dedication to space exploration and his resilience in overcoming challenges make him a standout figure in the field of astronautics.