The Next 10 Americans in Space
The shuttle has retired, but the astronauts haven’t.
- By Tony Reichhardt
- AirSpaceMag.com, July 26, 2011
«« Previous | 9 of 11
| Next »»
NASA
Mike Hopkins
Call Mike Hopkins (front row, center) the first astronaut of the post-space shuttle era. He and his fellow members of the class of 2009 (nicknamed “The Chumps”) came along too late to fly NASA’s space plane. Hopkins, who was just 12 when STS-1 launched in 1981, will be the first in his class to go to the space station instead, as the flight engineer for Expeditions 37/38, scheduled for September 2013. Why was he picked first? His pre-NASA resumé couldn’t have hurt: Academic All-American football player at the University of Illinois (defensive back), Air Force test pilot, and assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
«« Previous | 9 of 11
| Next »»
| Tweet | Digg |
Comments (2)
What do you mean, a couple of years with the Russians? More like 5 or more. I'll bet a lot more than that to get a man-rated spacecraft--so far an up-and-down thing that has flown only one time, maybe 2, and that will not even reach orbit. I wish the astronauts good luck!
Posted by Johnny Allred on July 30,2011 | 01:05 PM
What will the astronauts train for while waiting for the
next orbit of the sayous space capsel
Posted by robert raksij on August 9,2011 | 01:27 AM