Michael S. Hopkins

Michael S. Hopkins served as commander on the Crew-1 SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience, which launched on November 15, 2020, until his retirement from NASA in 2023. He was also a flight engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 64, his second long-duration space mission. Hopkins previously logged 166 days in space as a member of the Expedition 37/38 crew.

Hopkins was commissioned as a second lieutenant for the United States Air Force in 1992 and assigned to Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he worked on advanced space system technologies. He completed flight testing engineering at the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB and worked at the 418 Flight Test Squadron, testing multiple aircraft.

Hopkins pursued several international training opportunities throughout his career. In 1999, he moved to Cold Lake, Alberta, as an exchange officer with the Canadian Flight Test Center. Then, after six months of language training at the Defense Language Institute in California, he moved to Parm, Italy, in 2003 to study political Science at the Università degli Studi di Parma.

In 2005, Hopkins was assigned to the United States Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office at the Pentagon, where he served as a project engineer and program manager. In 2008, he was selected as a special assistant to the vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Hopkins’ selection as part of NASA’s 20th astronaut class in 2009 began his spaceflight career. He voluntarily transferred from the United States Air Force to the United States Space Force while working as a flight engineer for the International Space Station.

Throughout his academic and professional career, Hopkins has received many honors. He was named a Distinguished Graduate of the Reserve Officers Training Corps while a student at the University of Illinois and a Distinguished Graduate and top flight test engineer in the United States Air Force Test Pilot School, Class 96B. He was selected as an Olmsted Scholar by the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation and awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, two Air Force Commendation Medals, and four Air Force Achievement Medals.