Kansas native and U.S. Space Force Col. Nick Hague returned to Earth on March 18, 2025, after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). He launched on Sept. 28, 2024, as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, becoming the first active-duty Guardian to fly to space.

Hague, who was born in Belleville but calls Hoxie his hometown, graduated from Hoxie High School in 1994, received a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1998, and completed a Master of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2000.

Hague was selected as a NASA astronaut in June 2013 and completed training in July 2015. Hague participated in Expeditions 59-60 in 2019 and later supported the Boeing CST-100 (Starliner) program. He trained as Pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, but became the Commander after changes to the crew.

During his mission, Hague participated in over 150 scientific experiments, including studies on blood clotting, microgravity plant growth, and vision changes in astronauts, research critical for future long-duration space missions.

His return, originally scheduled for March, was delayed due to changes in the Crew-10 mission timeline. Hague and his crew returned aboard the Dragon spacecraft, landing off the Florida coast on Tuesday. After landing, recovery teams assisted the crew, who will undergo medical evaluations and debriefings. Hague has now spent more than 350 days in space across multiple missions. Updates and more information on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission can be found here.