HEADED TO SPACE: Alexandria's Michael Hopkins Tapped for NASA's Elite Astronaut Training

Courtesy of Great Images in Nasa "This is a very talented and diverse group we've selected,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for Space Operations. “They will join our current astronauts and play very important roles for NASA in the future."

By David Baker
 
After scouring 3,500 applications, Michael Hopkins of Alexandria has been chosen by NASA for its elite 2009 astronaut candidate class. Hopkins, 40, was one of nine to be chosen.
 
Hopkins said he knew he wanted to become an astronaut ever since high school and was inspired by the early success of the space shuttle program. "This was the moment that I had been working toward since high school and it was hard to believe it had arrived," Hopkins said in an interview on NASA's web site.
 

Courtesy of NASA Astronaut Michael S. Hopkins, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, is headed to space.

Hopkins said his initial reactions to the news gave him mixed feelings. "As soon as I heard the voice mail, my stomach started doing somersaults because I didn't know whether I had been selected or not. I had to walk around for a few minutes and prepare myself before I returned the call."
 
After calling and hearing the news, Hopkins said he was flooded with emotions and was thankful. "My next reaction was that I needed to call my wife, who has been my biggest supporter as I've pursued this lifelong dream.
 
Hopkins said he enjoys football, hockey, weight lifting and running. Other interests include hiking, reading, camping, home renovations and outdoor activities. Hopkins said one of his "extracurricular activities" was raising his two sons.
 
Hopkins is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and is special assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. He holds degrees from Stanford and the University of Illinois.
 
"This is a very talented and diverse group we've selected,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for Space Operations. “They will join our current astronauts and play very important roles for NASA in the future."
 
In addition to flying in space, astronauts participate in every aspect of human spaceflight, sharing their expertise with engineers and managers across the country. "We look forward to working with them as we transcend from the shuttle to our future exploration of space, and continue the important engineering and scientific discoveries aboard the International Space Station," Gerstenmaier said.
 
Hopkins will join NASA Astronaut Group 20 and begin training in August at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
 
Contact the writer at bakerdc@vcu.edu