USSF astronaut, team meet launch-supporting service members

Published July 25, 2024
By Airman 1st Class Spencer Contreras
Space Launch Delta 45

PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- Col. Nick Hague and his crewmates from the NASA SpaceX Crew-9 mission met with Airmen and Guardians at the Sands Space History Center outside of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, July 23. The Crew-9 mission is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station later this year.

Hague and the rest of the crew, Cmdr. Zena Cardman, Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson and Roscomos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov, attended an event at the history center to speak with and give thanks to representatives of military units who make manned spaceflight missions possible.

While Crew-9 is a NASA mission, Hague recognized that it would not be possible without the support of military units from Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral SFS.

“I can't overstate how crucial the Airmen and Guardians of Space Launch Delta 45 are to making human spaceflight possible,” Hague said. “It is this giant team that is all interconnected. Everybody that works at Patrick, everybody that works at the Cape, needs to know that they're riding on that rocket with us.”

At the event, military members were able to speak to and take photos with the crew members. Representatives also read statements to the space-bound crew regarding how their particular units provide support for missions like Crew-9.

It was a unique opportunity for the crew members to hear firsthand about the diverse group of units that contribute to the success of launch missions. Hague came away from the meeting with a deeper appreciation for the service members that are necessary to get crews into space.

“I've got a new collection of faces and names that I'll be thinking of as I'm riding the elevator up to the top of the launch tower, as I'm strapping into that seat, and as the clock starts ticking towards zero,” Hague said. “The opportunity to come and meet everybody has been phenomenal.”

The units and organizations in attendance included:

• 45th Space Launch Delta Staff Agency
• 45th Comptroller Squadron
• 45th Force Support Squadron
• 45th Contracting Squadron
• 45th Logistics Readiness Squadron
• 45th Weather Squadron
• 45th Security Forces Squadron
• 45th Civil Engineer Squadron
• 45th Medical Group
• Assured Access to Space
• 5th Space Launch Squadron
• 1st Range Operations Squadron

Guardians often provide support to launches, but this would be the first time one of their own would be aboard. Hague is slated to be the first Guardian to travel to space on his way to the ISS. He spoke to the significance of this moment.

“It's a huge honor because of what I represent,” Hague said. “I represent all those Guardians around the globe. It's a thrill to be a part of that and to represent that going up.”

After reaching the ISS, the crew will begin conducting operations and research experiments during the course of their stay in orbit above planet Earth.

The Crew-9 mission is scheduled to launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft later this year. When that day comes, members of Patrick SFB and Cape Canaveral SFS will be prepared to utilize their skills and make history as they assist in getting a Guardian into space for the first time.