Purdue ECE Alumnus Marc Hagle Joins University's Cradle of Astronauts
Purdue ECE Alumnus Marc Hagle Joins University's Cradle of Astronauts
Purdue University alumnus and entrepreneur Marc Hagle has been officially designated a “Private Specialist Astronaut,” entering him in a new category in Purdue’s Cradle of Astronauts. Hagle earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1971 and a master’s in business and industrial administration in 1972, both from Purdue.
The Private Specialist Astronaut designation recognizes Boilermakers who perform research or educational outreach on a mission above 80 kilometers in altitude, while acting as a private individual or as an employee of an organization that is not the flight operator. The title was created by Purdue’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AAE) in Spring 2025.
“Increasing activity in commercial space meant our previous categories didn’t cover the many ways that people can contribute to human spaceflight,” said Bill Crossley, the Uhrig & Vournas Head of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue. “Our faculty reviewed the guidelines this spring and added a new category to address that.”
Purdue’s other astronaut designations include NASA Astronaut and Commercial Astronaut, which are reserved for trained crew members and are eligible for inclusion in the Cradle of Astronauts. A separate Purdue Spacefarer category, for individuals who buy a ticket to space, is not eligible for the Cradle of Astronauts. (The FAA no longer designates anyone as an “astronaut,” and instead names individuals to a “Human Spaceflight Recognition” list.)
With Purdue’s new category in place, a faculty committee from Purdue AAE was convened to review Marc Hagle’s work aboard Blue Origin’s NS-28 suborbital flight in November 2024 – his second suborbital flight aboard a Blue Origin rocket, both alongside his wife, Sharon. The committee determined that his work qualified, and the title could be applied retroactively.
“We take this process seriously,” Crossley adds. “A committee of four faculty reviewed his activity on the New Shepard flight, and we reached out to appropriate experts in the field. We agreed that his contributions to the BioButton was meaningful to advancing human activity in space.”
“Based on that, we consider Marc Hagle an astronaut in the Purdue Cradle of Astronauts.”
Hagle is one of three Purdue ECE alumni to be inducted to the Cradle of Astronauts – following Eugene Cernan and David Wolf. Marc and Sharon Hagle also made history in 2022 when they became the first married couple to fly together on a commercial spaceflight, aboard Blue Origin’s NS-20.
“I’m absolutely honored and humbled to be included amongst such an amazing group of Purdue graduates,” Hagle said. “Now how about Boilers to Mars!”
Hagle is the president and CEO of Tricor International, a Florida-based real estate development firm. Sharon Hagle is founder of SpaceKids Global, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring students to pursue careers in space and STEM fields.
For more information about Purdue’s Cradle of Astronauts, visit https://www.purdue.edu/space/
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