Michael S. Hopkins

Michael S. Hopkins
NASA Astronaut
Nationality	American
Status	Active
Born	December 28, 1968 (1968-12-28) (age 42) Lebanon, Missouri
Other occupation	Special assistant
Selection	2009 NASA Group

Michael Scott Hopkins is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, and a current NASA astronaut.^[1] Hopkins was selected in June 2009 as a member of the NASA Astronaut Group 20. He is currently assigned as a Flight Engineer on Soyuz TMA-10M/Expedition 37/Expedition 38 scheduled for launch in September 2013. He is scheduled to be the first member of his class to fly in space. ^[2]

Biography

Early life and education

Michael Scott Hopkins was born in Lebanon, Missouri but grew up on a farm in Richland, Missouri. After graduating from the School of the Osange High School in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri in 1987, he entered the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While there he played defensive back for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team ^[3]. He graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. He followed his undergraduate studies with a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Stanford University, which he earned in 1992.

Military Career

Hopkins was a member of Air Force ROTC while at the University of Illinois, where he was a distinguished graduate. After graduating with his Bachelors degree he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in January 1992. Early in his career he was stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico working on advanced space system technologies. In 1996 he attended the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School as a flight test engineer. He graduated in class 96B as a Distinguished graduate and top flight test engineer. Following test pilot school he was assigned to the 418th Flight Test Squadron testing the C-17 and C-130 aircraft. In 1999 he was sent to Canada on an exchange program. While there he lived in Cold Lake, Alberta working with the Canadian Flight Test Center. In 2002 he was selected as an Olmsted Scholar by the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation and was sent to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California studying foreign language. After six months of language training he was sent to Parma, Italy studying political science at the Università degli Studi di Parma. In 2005, Hopkins was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Project Office at the Pentagon where he was a project engineer and program manager. Following this assignment, in 2008 he was assigned as a special assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General James Cartwright. He was working with the Joint Chiefs when he was assigned to be an astronaut candidate.^[4]

James Hopkins in flight suit while serving as special assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

NASA Career

Hopkins was selected by NASA and the U.S. Air Force to be an astronaut candidate and began training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. After completing astronaut candidate training he was designated an Astronaut. He is currently scheduled to launch on the Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft in September 2013 alongside two Russian cosmonauts. His crew will dock with the International Space Station where Hopkins will remain on board as a Flight Engineer on Expedition 37/Expedition 38. During his time on the station, the crew will conduct science experiments and maintenance. The mission is scheduled to end with the Soyuz landing in March 2014^[2].

Marriage and children

Hopkins is married and has two sons.^[5]

Awards

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal
	Aerial Achievement Medal
	Air Force Commendation Medal	with one oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Achievement Medal	with two oak leaf clusters
	National Defense Service Medal	with service star
	Air Force Training Ribbon

References

1. ^ NASA HQ (June 29, 2009). "NASA Selects New Astronauts for Future Space Exploration". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/ascans2009.html. Retrieved June 29, 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "NASA And Partners Name Upcoming Space Station Crew Members". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/feb/HQ_11-044_ISS_Crews.html. Retrieved 2011-02-19. 
3. ^ Mumm, Susan (2009-07-14). "AE Alum Chosen for 2009 Astronaut Class". Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. http://ae.illinois.edu/news/articles.php?105. 
4. ^ "In Their Own Words: Michael S. Hopkins". NASA. 2009-06-29. http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2009_hopkins.html. 
5. ^ Wood, Paul (2008-07-28). "NASA thinks former UI football player has right stuff". Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette. http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009/07/28/nasa_thinks_former_ui_football_player_has_right_stuff. 

External links

• Astronaut Candidate Bio: Michael S. Hopkins (09/2009)
• Spacefacts biography of Michael S. Hopkins

Persondata
Name	Hopkins, Michael Scott
Alternative names
Short description	NASA astronaut, and Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Air Force
Date of birth	December 28, 1968
Place of birth	Lebanon, Missouri
Date of death
Place of death