'My Spaceflight Career Is Full Of...': NASA Astronaut Nick Hague Looks Back At Space Stint Ahead Of Crew-9 Landing
NASA astronaut Nick Hague reflects on his time aboard the International Space Station, expressing gratitude for its scientific legacy and international collaboration.
As NASA’s Crew-9 prepares to return home from the International Space Station (ISS), astronaut Nick Hague took to social media to reflect on his time in orbit, sharing his gratitude for being part of the ISS’s 25-year legacy of scientific research and global collaboration.
Hague, a U.S. Space Force colonel and NASA astronaut, posted a message on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “It’s been a privilege to call the @Space_Station home, to play my part in its 25-year legacy of doing research for humanity, and to work with colleagues, now friends, from around the globe. My spaceflight career, like most, is full of the unexpected.”
The message was accompanied by an image of Hague inside the ISS’s Cupola module, gazing at Earth from the station’s panoramic observation deck. The Cupola, one of the most iconic locations aboard the ISS, offers astronauts a stunning view of the planet, reinforcing the station’s role as a platform for scientific discovery and international cooperation.
It’s been a privilege to call the @Space_Station home, to play my part in its 25-year legacy of doing research for humanity, and to work with colleagues, now friends, from around the globe. My spaceflight career, like most, is full of the unexpected. pic.twitter.com/80jJ0Zn1sM
— Nick Hague (@AstroHague) March 17, 2025
A Career Marked By The Unexpected
Hague’s mention of an “unexpected” spaceflight career references a dramatic moment in 2018, when he was aboard the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft for what was meant to be his first journey to the ISS. However, the mission was cut short after a booster failure triggered an automatic launch abort just minutes after liftoff. Hague and his Russian crewmate, Alexey Ovchinin, were forced to execute a high-G emergency descent, landing safely in Kazakhstan.
Despite this setback, Hague’s resilience and determination saw him return to space in 2019 for a 203-day mission aboard the ISS, where he contributed to a wide range of scientific research and conducted three spacewalks.
Hague, along with fellow Crew-9 members Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, is set to depart the ISS on March 18, weather permitting, aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
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