Stanford Engineering alum heading for space

Space camp? Try space school. Of roughly 500 astronauts that NASA has trained thus far, 21 attended Stanford University, and four of these alums are on the active roster.

Michael Hopkins (MS AA '92) is one of these four.

A colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Hopkins will blast off for the International Space Station later this month, becoming the first astronaut from NASA's class of 2009 to break the grip of earth. But he modestly squelches any speculation that going up first means he was first in his class.

"It's just the way things worked out," he laughs. "Somebody had to be first, and I was lucky."

Maybe. But Hopkins' CV is impressive even by NASA metrics.

A Distinguished Graduate and Top Flight Engineer at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Hopkins flew C-17 and C-130 aircraft for the 418th Flight Test Squadron stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. He has researched advanced space system technologies at Kirkland Air Force Base in New Mexico. To broaden his vistas, he learned Italian as an Olmsted Scholar at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey and studied political science at the Università degli Studi di Parma.

In 2005 he joined the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office as a special assistant to the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position he held until he began astronaut training in 2009. Hopkins was one of 14 people chosen from 3,500 applicants for NASA's 20th astronaut class.

If all goes according to plan, on Wednesday, September 25, Hopkins and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy will climb aboard a Soyuz rocket at Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome and lift off for the International Space Station. Kotov will command the mission, officially dubbed Expedition 37/38. Hopkins and Ryazanskiy will serve as flight engineers. The three men will stay in orbit for almost six months.

Hopkins has been training intensively for his flight for more than two years. His flight preparations have included immersive studying, simulator work and physical conditioning, supplemented by informal colloquies with astronauts who've already served on missions.

"They always give you those little nuggets you can't pick up in the classroom," Hopkins says.

What kind of nuggets? He pauses before responding. "Well, one thing they emphasize is that space flight is different for everyone. And you never really know how you'll react until you're in space. So you spend a fair amount of time thinking about that. And there's always emphasis on patience. You want calm, methodical people on a space mission."

Space flight is glamorous, and the missions are technical and highly demanding. Still, a significant amount of time on the station is devoted to prosaic activities such as staying healthy, exercising, eating and sleeping.

Physical fitness is second nature for Hopkins. As an undergraduate, he was captain of the University of Illinois football team, and he remains an avid runner, skier and weight lifter. So he's looking forward to regular workouts on the international space station's "gym."

"A micro-gravity environment exerts some negative effects on the human body," he observes. "Specifically, you lose bone and muscle mass, so you have to work out regularly. There are three pieces of exercise hardware on the space station – a squat rack, a treadmill and an exercise bike. They're versatile – you can change loads and speeds, so you can give your heart, lungs and muscles a good workout."

And while the international space station hardly qualities as a foodie's destination, Hopkins is a staunch defender of micro-g cuisine.

"Hey, a lot of effort goes into our menus," he retorts when questioned about the bland reputation of space fare. "The food is delicious, and there's a lot of variety – we don't repeat any entrees for eight or nine days."

Exercise and dining aside, Hopkins will spend most of his waking hours conducting experiments. These will cover a variety of fields, including the impacts of microgravity on human health, says Tara Ruttley, NASA's associate program scientist for the International Space Station.

"In about 20 percent of astronauts, we see changes in eye structure after long missions," Ruttley says. "Microgravity causes fluid retention in the head and upper torso. Mike will be using an ultrasound device to measure and document structural changes in the eyeballs of expedition members, and sending images back to us on a regular basis. It's a significant health issue for long-term space flight, and we need to know more about it."

In another experiment, Hopkins will investigate the effects of microgravity on salmonella bacteria.

"We know from past experiments that salmonella (a bacterium responsible for food poisoning) becomes more virulent in a microgravity environment," Ruttley says, "and we've identified a gene that plays a role in virulence. But we need more information to see how it all fits together. Mike will use a device that allows him to infect roundworms with salmonella, and then he'll inspect their condition throughout the mission. Ultimately, we think progress on this front could lead to more effective antibiotics and vaccines."

Another experiment Hopkins will conduct directly addresses safety, comfort and hygiene aboard spacecraft.

In microgravity, liquids don't stay at the bottom of a cup or bottle. If they escape from any container, they disperse outward, ultimately climbing walls and hiding in nooks and crannies. Depending on the fluid, the results can range from the irritating to the disgusting to the overtly dangerous. Some structures and containers are may be more suitable for controlling capillary flow – the movement of liquids across surfaces – than others, Ruttley observes. Hopkins will investigate which shapes work best in space, aided by open-source software that allows for the manipulation of CAD models, Ruttley says.

Even space is not immune to the pressures of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, so expect Hopkins to post regularly on his ruminations while aloft.

"I have to admit I'm pretty new to social media," he said, "and I have to thank NASA for getting me on board. I've been trying to share thoughts and photos on a daily basis lately, and I certainly plan to continue that on the international space station."

Speaking of the international aspects of space exploration, Hopkins notes that the "space race" ethos of yesteryear is defunct – and good riddance. Regardless of the tensions between nations on earth, there is, he says, comity in orbit. And that, Hopkins intimates, is essential for making humanity a species that can reach for the stars – and perhaps someday grasp them.

"The international space station has grown into a global mission, and it's one of the most powerful testaments to cooperation that we have," Hopkins says. "And I have to tell you. The work we're doing here together, the good will we're building, isn't just important – it's an essential step for exploring deep space."

For more information:

• To see training and mission posts on Twitter, follow @AstroILLINI and @NASA_Astronauts
• To join the conversation about the International Space Station on Twitter, follow the hashtag #ISS
• For information on the "Train Like an Astronaut Program" (Hopkins is a participant), go to http://www.Facebook.com/TrainAstronaut
• For NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv