International Space Station Archives

Missouri native gives update from space

November 26, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

A crew of astronauts, including southern Missouri native Mike Hopkins, is getting settled in aboard the International Space Station (ISS). They lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center on November 15 and are spending the next six months in space.

Missouri astronaut Mike Hopkins and crew

The crew is part of the first manned operational space flight of a U.S. commercial shuttle. The space mission marks the second one for Hopkins.

During an update with NASA, Hopkins, the commander, talks about the rocket’s name – “Resilience.”

“It’s been a tough year and the fact that SpaceX and NASA were able to get our spacecraft ready to go – the rocket ready to go – throughout this year, throughout the pandemic and all of that, we were inspired by everybody’s efforts to do that. So that’s why we named it Resilience and we hope that it puts a smile to peoples’ face – it brings hope to them,” says Hopkins.

He says a longstanding astronaut tradition is to take along a sidekick to space and show viewers at home. Their choice seems appropriate given their location.

“We had just started watching the (Star Wars) series and it’s hard not to like baby Yoda,” says Hopkins. “I think the ride into space was probably a little rougher than baby Yoda was used to.”

The space station spans the area of an American football field and weighs more than 861,000 lbs. The complex has more livable room than a five-bedroom home, with two bathrooms, a gym and a 360-degree bay window.

Hopkins grew up in southern Missouri’s Richland near Fort Leonard Wood. He also has family in the Lake of the Ozarks area in central Missouri.

Missouri native rockets to space on historic mission

November 15, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Four astronauts on the space shuttle dubbed “Resilience” are headed to the International Space Station, including southern Missouri native Mike Hopkins. Hopkins, of Richland, is commanding the crew on the first operational space flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts aboard.

According to NASA, the crew is making history on many other fronts. Shannon Walker becomes the first woman to be on a commercial orbital space flight.

Victor Glover is first African American astronaut to fly on a commercial spacecraft and the first Black crew member to live aboard the International Space Station for an extended period of time. The four-person crew has been assigned to spend about the next six months there.

Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will be the first international partner crew member on the Crew Dragon spacecraft. He will also be the first international astronaut to travel aboard three orbital space shuttles.

Hopkins is the first flight test engineer to command a U.S. commercial rocket.

Hopkins has been training for this mission for more than two years. Before liftoff, he had a heartfelt departing message.

“To all the people at NASA and SpaceX, by working together through these difficult times, you’ve inspired the nation, the world, and the name of this incredible vehicle, Resilience. And now it’s time for us to do our part – Crew-1 for all,” said Hopkins.

Among the virtual audience wishing Hopkins and company safe travels today included aerospace engineers from his alma mater – the University of Illinois.

“I-L-L,” they hollered.

Rob Blevins with the Springfield Discovery Center, an interactive science museum in southwest Missouri, thanked the crew for inspiring the next generation of scientists and astronauts.

“Go make history like you are going to do today. Go NASA. Go SpaceX. Go make history,” he exclaimed.

Missouri has played a key role since America restarted its space shuttle program this year. Hopkins and St. Louis County native Bob Behnken have both led historic journeys to space in 2020.

Behnken and fellow spaceman Doug Hurley launched to space on the first manned commercial crew in U.S. history and first space launch from American soil in nearly a decade. Behnken and Hurley joined today’s broadcast of the launch. Behnken said the best part of the mission was splash down and climbing out of the space vehicle to successfully complete their mission.

Crew Resilience is traveling in the same shuttle as Behnken blasted off to space in. The plan is for Hopkins and crew to return home the same way as Behnken and Hurley by plunging into American waters.

Resilience is expected to dock at the International Space Station around 10 p.m. CST on Monday.

(AUDIO) Missouri native prepares to blast off to space

September 30, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

On a farm near southern Missouri’s Richland, Mike Hopkins grew up watching with fascination as astronauts rocketed into space. America’s space shuttle program inspired him to want to reach for the stars. Those were the days of the space shuttles Challenger and Discovery launching into orbit.

PHOTO DATE: 12-29-16
LOCATION: Bldg. 8, Room 183 – Photo Studio
SUBJECT: Official astronaut portrait of Mike Hopkins in an EMU suit.
PHOTOGRAPHER: BILL STAFFORD

Today, Hopkins is living out his childhood dreams. He is commander of a crew scheduled to take off into space on October 31 and head to the International Space Station.

“You got to see the launches on TV at school. Everybody would go to the auditorium and they’d have the TVs set up on the stage and you got to see that,” says Hopkins. “And you’re just looking at that going, ‘Wow, I’d love to do that.’ It just feels right. I think those of us that are blessed to have jobs like that where it feels like this is where you are supposed to be, I think we are all very fortunate. So hopefully our mission will be able to do the same thing. When they get to see the crew and our different backgrounds and where we came from, hopefully everybody out there will find one of us that they can connect with that can help inspire them.”

Hopkins, 51, will be aboard the second manned flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. The crew is blasting off in the same vehicle that launched into space over the summer with St. Louis County native Bob Behnken on board.

Hopkins will be joined by NASA astronauts Shannon Walker and Victor Glover, as well as Soichi Noguchi from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Their mission is expected to last until April 2021. Hopkins says the plan is for the crew to return by plunging into the water – just like Behnken did in August.

The astronauts will live aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Hopkins describes the ISS as alive.

“You find that out when it’s after work hours and you’ve turned out the lights and people are in their crew quarters going to bed and you’re kind of alone in some of the main modules. You just hear and you can feel this vibration of the equipment that’s keeping you alive and it’s like a heartbeat,” he says. “You get that sense of just how special this vehicle is because it’s standing between you and the vacuum of space. You just really feel a connection to it.”

The space station flies at an average altitude of 248 miles above Earth. It circles the globe every 90 minutes at a speed of about 17,500 mph.

Have you ever wondered how massive the station is? Let’s put it this way – the ISS spans the area of an American football field and weighs more than 861,000 lbs. The complex has more livable room than a five-bedroom home, with two bathrooms, a gym and a 360-degree bay window.

Its main construction was completed between 1998 and 2011 but continues to grow.

The ISS is bright enough that it can be seen from Earth at night without the use of a telescope by star gazers who know a thing or two. NASA has an interactive map to find out where to spot the station.

The space mission will mark the second one for Hopkins. He has logged 166 days in space and conducted two spacewalks totaling 12 hours and 58 minutes.

“I’m excited to float again. There’s nothing like that,” he says. “It’s an experience that is hard to describe and that’s actually one of my goals when I go up this time is to figure out how to describe – how to put it into words to people down on Earth.”

Hopkins has also served his country in the U.S. Air Force. He is currently a colonel in the newly-launched U.S. Space Force – a space warfare branch of America’s military.

His mother and stepfather, Barbara and Dennis Duffy, reside in central Missouri’s Camdenton. His father, Ogle Hopkins, is deceased, and his stepmother, Paula Hertwig Hopkins, lives on the farm outside Richland near Ft. Leonard Wood.

Listen to the interview with NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins:

Missouri astronaut makes history – again

August 2, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have made history again. They launched into orbit two months ago as part of the first manned commercial crew in U.S. history and first space launch from American soil in nearly a decade. Today, Behnken and Hurley’s return home was completed after plunging into the water off the coast of Florida – marking the first water landing since the last Apollo mission in 1975.

NASA TV broadcast of splashdown off the coast of Florida

Behnken, a St. Louis County native and Washington University graduate, is also a test pilot for the U.S. Air Force. His mission was to try out the commercial aircraft on its journey to and from the International Space Station.

Despite a tropical storm in the region, Behnken and Hurley had a smooth splashdown near Pensacola Naval Air Station. Several parachutes helped in the landing of the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

Mission control dispatched a welcome home to the astronauts.

The hatch is opened and NASA astronaut Bob Behnken emerges from the capsule

“Thank you for flying SpaceX.”

Two boats gathered near the splashdown location to get the capsule out of the water. Crews then opened the hatch to let Behnken and Hurley breath fresh air for the first time in 64 days.

“I just wanted to thank you guys for bringing us home safe before we disembark from the ship Endeavor,” Behnken tells the NASA and SpaceX crews. “Thank you for doing the most difficult parts and the most important parts of human space flight – getting us into orbit and bringing us home safely.”

Another Crew Dragon spacecraft is preparing to launch another mission, called Crew-1, carrying NASA astronauts Victor Glover, southern Missouri native Michael Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi of Japan.

Next spring, Megan McArthur, Behnken’s wife and fellow astronaut, along with NASA’s Shane Kimbrough, Akihiko Hoshide of Japan and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency will make a trip to the International Space Station.

Earlier stories:

Missouri astronaut makes history aboard first SpaceX flight: https://wp.me/p16gMv-wAE

Bad weather postpones Missouri astronaut’s trip to space: https://wp.me/p16gMv-wA3

Missouri astronaut prepares for historic SpaceX launch: https://wp.me/p16gMv-wvZ

Missouri astronaut prepares to make his way back to Earth

July 31, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Weather permitting, NASA astronaut Bob Behnken and fellow spaceman Doug Hurley are scheduled to undock Saturday evening at the International Space Station and begin their historic journey back home. Their mission marks the first time in U.S. history that a commercial astronaut crew has gone to space and the first human space flight from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.

From left: Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken

Behnken, a native of St. Louis County and Washington University grad, rocketed into space two months ago on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft they named “Endeavour”.

The National Hurricane Center says Florida remains in the path of Hurricane Isaias and the storm is expected to move past Cape Canaveral. Behnken and Hurley are scheduled to splash down in their capsule off the coast of Florida around 2:48 p.m. Sunday. It will be the first water landing of astronauts since the last Apollo mission in 1975.

“NASA teams will continue to closely a monitor Tropical Storm Isaias and evaluate impacts to weather around the Florida peninsula, including the potential splashdown sites in the Gulf of Mexico and along the state’s Atlantic coast,” NASA says. “NASA and SpaceX will make a decision on a primary splashdown target approximately 6 hours before undocking Saturday.”

If the mission is a go, two boats will arrive immediately after splashdown to get the capsule and open the hatch for Behnken and Hurley.

Behnken has been on two other space missions. He is also a flight test pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

Southern Missouri native and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins of Richland will be part of a mission later this year to the International Space Station after Behnken returns.

Behnken’s wife, Megan, will also be heading to the International Space Station next spring. NASA has chosen her to pilot the same spaceship as the one her husband is returning in.

Missouri astronaut makes history aboard first SpaceX flight

May 30, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

For the first time since 2011, America launched humans into Earth’s orbit today. Cape Canaveral weather looked a bit iffy at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida but then began to clear up as liftoff time approached.

From left: Astronauts Doug Moore and Bob Behnken (Photo courtesy of NASA’s Twitter page)

At 3:22 p.m., a ten second countdown began. Then the 260-foot SpaceX Dragon ship carrying Missouri native Bob Behnken and fellow astronaut Doug Hurley rocketed into space.

The mission is the first time in U.S. history that a commercial astronaut crew has gone to space and signifies the return of NASA’s space launch program.

“It is absolutely our honor to be part of this huge effort to get the United States back in the launch business. We’ll talk to you from orbit,” Behnken said right before launch.

The flight took about nine minutes to get to space and is scheduled to parallel park at the International Space Station Sunday morning around 9:30 a.m. CST. Behnken and Hurley are expected to be there for about four months.

Behnken, a St. Louis County native, has been on two other space missions. He is also a flight test pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

Fellow astronaut and southern Missouri native Mike Hopkins of Richland will be part of a mission later this year to the International Space Station after Behnken returns.