.As the hub of human spaceflight, NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston carries a wide array of unique tasks and also opportunities. Those include being actually the home of NASA's rocketeer corps.Some of those rocketeers-- Chip Hague-- is actually currently prepping to launch to the International Space Station alongside Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov on the nine rotational purpose under NASA's Business Crew Plan. This will be the third launch and also 2nd goal to the spaceport station for Hague, who was actually selected as a NASA rocketeer in 2013 and also has actually invested 203 times in space.Hague was birthed as well as increased in Kansas yet has crisscrossed the country for college as well as profession. He earned levels from the USA Sky Troop School in Colorado as well as the Massachusetts Principle of Technology in Cambridge, and also he participated in the united state Aviation service Examination Fly Institution at Edwards Air Force Foundation in The Golden State. Hague's military profession has actually taken him to New Mexico, Colorado, Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C., and also featured a five-month release to Iraq. Hague transferred coming from the Flying force to the United State Area Force in 2020 after functioning as the Area Power's supervisor of exam and analysis at the Pentagon.Familiar with brand-new spots, Hague strongly remembers making his very first vacation to Johnson when he was speaking with to join NASA's rocketeer corps. "I had no idea what to anticipate, as well as it was a little difficult. I understood every person was enjoying me as well as judging me," he stated. "The good news is, even though I wasn't chosen then, I acquired one more opportunity a handful of years later on. It's a quite magical location.".Hague completed his astronaut training in July 2015 as portion of NASA's 21st astronaut lesson. He was the 1st rocketeer from that group to become designated to a purpose, which released in October 2018 however was aborted not long after departure. His upcoming spaceflight happened in 2019, when he signed up with three of his classmates-- NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Christina Koch, as well as Andrew Morgan-- aboard the International Spaceport Station for Expeditions 59 as well as 60.Hague has actually brought in numerous memories at Johnson, but one that stands apart is his knowledge operating onsite amid the 2013 federal government closure. "I am actually active-duty armed forces so I still related to work," he explained. "I always remember being onsite as well as the center being actually completely unfilled. Having the capacity to ride around an empty university on the free-range bikes-- it was actually serene and also surreal." It was actually likewise an examine of what many Johnson employees experienced throughout the pandemic as well as how NASA preserves day-and-night help for spaceflight functions regardless of mitigating circumstances.Hague now looks ahead to an additional experience to reduced The planet orbit. NASA and SpaceX authorities presently plan to introduce the Crew-9 goal no earlier than Wednesday, Sept. 25. The staff will definitely ascend from Release Intricate 40 coming from the Cape Canaveral Area Troop Station in Fla aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Monster spacecraft.Hague and Gorbonov will definitely enter of the Expedition 72 staff aboard the station. They will certainly sign up with NASA rocketeers Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, as well as Don Pettit, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, and are going to spend about 6 months conducting clinical research study in microgravity as well as finishing a range of working tasks prior to returning home.Additional particulars about the objective and workers can be located by following the Crew-9 blog post, @commercial_crew on X, or commercial crew on Facebook. You can also observe @astrohague on X as well as Instagram.