BREVARD COUNTY • PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, FLORIDA – U.S. Space Force 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 Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on July 23, 2024.

The Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to launch later this year from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Hague and the rest of the crew, Commander Zena Cardman, Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson and Roscomos Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, attended an event at the Sands to speak with and thank representatives of military units that enable human space missions.

Although Crew-9 is a NASA mission, Hague was aware that it would not be possible without the support of military units at Patrick Space Force Base and CCSFS.

“I can’t stress enough how important the Airmen and Guardians of Space Launch Delta 45 are to human spaceflight,” Hague said. “This huge team is very close-knit. Everyone who works at Patrick, everyone who works at the Cape, needs to know that they are flying with us on this rocket.”

At the event, military personnel were able to speak with the crew members and take photos with them. Representatives also read statements to the space crew about how their respective units support missions like Crew-9.

It was a unique opportunity for crew members to learn firsthand about the diverse units that contribute to the success of launch missions. Hague left the meeting with a deeper appreciation for the soldiers necessary to get crews into space.

“I have a new collection of faces and names that I will think of as I take the elevator to the top of the launch tower, buckle into the seat, and the clock ticks toward zero,” Hague said. “The opportunity to come here and meet everyone has been phenomenal.”

Units and organizations present included:

• 45th Space Launch Delta Staff Agency
• 45th Comptroller Squadron
• 45th Troop Support Squadron
• 45th Contract Squadron
• 45th Logistics Readiness Squadron
• 45th Weather Squadron
• 45th Security Forces Squadron
• 45th Civil Engineer Squadron
• 45. Medical Group
• Secure access to space
• 5th Space Launch Squadron
• 1st Long Range Operations Squadron

Guardians often support launches, but this would be the first time one of them would be on board. Hague is set to be the first Guardian to travel into space en route to the ISS. He spoke about the significance of this moment.

“It’s a great honor because I represent what I represent,” Hague said. “I represent all these Guardians around the world. It’s exciting to be a part of that and to represent what’s rising.”

After arriving at the ISS, the crew will begin conducting operations and research experiments during their stay in orbit around planet Earth.

The launch of the Crew-9 mission aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is scheduled for later this year.

When that day comes, members of the PSFB and CCSFS will be ready to use their skills and make history by helping to launch a Guardian into space for the first time.