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University of Illinois alum, 1991 Illini football team captain, and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins launched into outer space in September of 2013, and headed to the International Space Station as a part of Expedition 37/38. He won't return to Earth until March 2014.
Thankfully, Hopkins brought his camera aboard with him, and he keeps his Twitter account (@AstroIllini) fresh with new images. Below are his Tweets and accompanying images from the month of January.
Happy New Year from Exp38. Beautiful day on station! pic.twitter.com/rQvrn5bGno
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 1, 2014
Richat Structure in the western Sahara. Pretty amazing feature when seen from above. pic.twitter.com/LtNrQwpJey
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 2, 2014
I always enjoy flying over the Caribbean. The water around the Bahamas is incredible! pic.twitter.com/G9seQE3DDN
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 4, 2014
Hello Edwards AFB. This is where we lived when my oldest son was born back in 1998. pic.twitter.com/ezTgej87eV
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 5, 2014
Hello Cold Lake, Alberta. My youngest son was born here in 2001. Looks cold! pic.twitter.com/4yipDpEd5X
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 6, 2014
Hello Roy, NM. You may be small, but you can still be seen from space! pic.twitter.com/E82Nme9XE0
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 7, 2014
Noctilucent clouds over the poles. Tough to see but these ice crystal clouds are above 75km. Pretty cool to see. pic.twitter.com/vaeRAAs4fF
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 9, 2014
The Orbital 1 Cygnus Gordon Fullerton vehicle arrived yesterday. Beautiful view from Cupola as it approached pic.twitter.com/mRZMGpQjC0
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 13, 2014
Koichi and I with Cygnus in the background right before capture on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/jEpA27bMMu
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 14, 2014
Rare chance to see inside the end effector of the robotic arm which was placed here so Rick & Koichi could inspect pic.twitter.com/h89XzdYkO0
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 15, 2014
Conditions look pretty rough in Australia. Hopefully everyone is staying safe! pic.twitter.com/hJaLMKfa7b
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 16, 2014
Fires in Southern California....Everyone stay safe. pic.twitter.com/EEZMWl4W6C
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 19, 2014
After 3.5 months on ISS & the view never gets old. Great pass over the SW U.S. pic.twitter.com/eFqv312tr2
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 21, 2014
Great day of science on board ISS. Rick & I performed an experiment with spheres & simulated fuel tank. pic.twitter.com/jsGNQyV7un
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 22, 2014
Great view of our nation's capital. This pic was from several weeks ago when the storm hit. pic.twitter.com/vN3f5cNNzo
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 26, 2014
great view of my Russian crewmates working outside my window during yesterdays EVA. Great success and all in safe. pic.twitter.com/OVdVUnM2x3
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 28, 2014
Beautiful sunrise with a hint of moon... pic.twitter.com/XzY3PUXMFM
— Mike Hopkins (@AstroIllini) January 30, 2014
Thanks for the mementos, Mike. Even the hardest hearts can find a tender spot for beautiful images like these. You're the coolest Illini in the universe.
