NASA Spotlight: Astronaut Mike HopkinsMichael S. Hopkins was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 200

NASA Spotlight: Astronaut Mike HopkinsMichael S. Hopkins was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 2009. The Missouri native is currently the Crew-1 mission commander for NASA’s next SpaceX launch to the International Space Station on Nov. 14, 2020. Hopkin’s Crew-1 mission will mark the first-ever crew rotation flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts on board, and it secures the U.S.’s ability to launch humans into space from American soil once again. Previously, Hopkins was member of the Expedition 37/38 crew and has logged 166 days in space. During his stay aboard the station, he conducted two spacewalks totaling 12 hours and 58 minutes to change out a degraded pump module. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering. He took some time from being a NASA astronaut to answer questions about his life and career! Enjoy: What do you hope people think about whenyou launch?I hope people are thinking about the fact that we’restarting a new era in human spaceflight. We’re re-opening human launchcapability to U.S. soil again, but it’s not just that. We’re opening low-Earthorbit and the International Space Station with commercial companies. It’s a lotdifferent than what we’ve done in the past. I hope people realize this isn’tjust another launch – this is something a lot bigger. Hopefully it’s settingthe stage, one of those first steps to getting us to the Moon and on to Mars.You served in the U.S. Air Force as a flighttest engineer. What does that entail?First off, just like being an astronaut, it involves a lot of training when youfirst get started. I went to the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and spent ayear in training and just learning how to be a flight test engineer. It was oneof the most challenging years I’ve ever had, but also one of the more rewardingyears. What it means afterwards is, you are basically testing new vehicles ornew systems that are going on aircraft. You are testing them before they gethanded over to the operational fleet and squadrons. You want to make sure thatthese capabilities are safe, and that they meet requirements. As a flight testengineer, I would help design the test. I would then get the opportunity to goand fly and execute the test and collect the data, then do the analysis, thenwrite the final reports and give those conclusions on whether this particularvehicle or system was ready to go.What is one piece of life advice you wishsomebody had told you when you were younger? A common theme for me is to just have patience. Enjoy the ride along the way. Ithink I tend to be pretty high intensity on things and looking back, I thinkthings happen when they’re supposed to happen, and sometimes that doesn’tnecessarily agree with when you think it should happen. So for me, someonesaying, “Just be patient Mike, it’s all going to happen when it’s supposed to,”would be really good advice.Is there a particular science experiment you enjoyedworking on the most while aboard the space station?There’s a lot of experiments I had the opportunity to participate in, butthe ones in particular I liked were ones where I got to interact directly withthe folks that designed the experiment. One thing I enjoyed was a fluidexperiment called Capillary Flow Experiment, or CFE. I got to work directlywith the principal investigators on the ground as I executed that experiment.What made it nice was getting to hear their excitement as you were letting themknow what was happening in real time and getting to hear their voices as theygot excited about the results. It’s just a lot of fun.Space is a risky business. Why do it?I think most of us when we think about whatever it is we do, we don’t thinkof it in those terms. Space is risky, yes, but there’s a lot of other riskyjobs out there. Whether it’s in the military, farming, jobs that involve heavymachinery or dangerous equipment… there’s all kinds of jobs that entail risk. Whydo it? You do it because it appeals to you. You do it because it’s what getsyou excited. It just feels right. We all have to go through a point in ourlives where we figure out what we want to do and what we want to be. Sometimeswe have to make decisions based on factors that maybe wouldn’t lead you downthat choice if you had everything that you wanted, but in this particular casefor me, it’s exactly where I want to be. From a risk standpoint, I don’t thinkof it in those terms.Can you describe your crew mate Soichi Noguchi in onesentence?There are many facets to Soichi Noguchi. I’m thinking about the movie Shrek.He has many layers! He’s very talented. He’s very well-thought. He’s veryfunny. He’s very caring. He’s very sensitive to other people’s needs anddesires. He’s a dedicated family man. I could go on and on and on… so maybe likean onion – full of layers!Star Trek or Star Wars?I love them both. But can I say Firefly? There’s a TV series outthere called Firefly. It lasted one season – kind of a space cowboy-type show.They did have a movie, Serenity, that was made as well. But anyway, Ilove both Star Wars and Star Trek. We’ve really enjoyed The Mandalorian.I mean who doesn’t love Baby Yoda right? It’s all fun.How many times did you apply to be an astronaut? Didyou learn anything on your last attempt? I tried four times over the course of 13 years. My first three attempts, Ididn’t even have references checked or interviews or anything. Remember what wetalked about earlier, about patience? For my fourth attempt, the fact is, ithappened when it was supposed to happen. I didn’t realize it at the time. Iwould have loved to have been picked on my first attempt like anybody wouldthink, but at the same time, because I didn’t get picked right away, my familyhad some amazing experiences throughout my Air Force career. That includesliving in Canada, living overseas in Italy, and having an opportunity to workat the Pentagon. All of those helped shape me and grow my experience in waysthat I think helped me be a better astronaut.Can you share your favorite photo or video that youtook in space?One of my favorite pictures was a picture inside the station at night whenall of the lights were out. You can see the glow of all of the little LEDs andcomputers and things that stay on even when you turn off the overhead lights.You see this glow on station. It’s really one of my favorite times because thepicture doesn’t capture it all. I wish you could hear it as well. I like tothink of the station in some sense as being alive. It’s at that time of nightwhen everybody else is in their crew quarters in bed and the lights are outthat you feel it. You feel the rhythm, you feel the heartbeat of the station,you see it in the glow of those lights – that heartbeat is what’s keeping youalive while you’re up there. That picture goes a small way of trying to capturethat, but I think it’s a special time from up there.What personal items did you decide to packfor launch and why? My wedding bands. I’m also taking up pilot wingsfor my son. He wants to be a pilot so if he succeeds with that, I’ll be able togive him his pilot wings. Last time, I took one of the Purple Hearts of a veryclose friend. He was a Marine in World War II who earned it after his servicein the Pacific.Thank you for your time, Mike, and good luck on your historic mission! Get to know a bit more about Mike and his Crew-1 crew mates Victor Glover, Soichi Noguchi, and Shannon Walker in the video above.Watch LIVE launch coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 14 HERE. Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com  -- source link

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