Former Richland man goes into space October 31

On a farm near Richland, Mike Hopkins grew up watching with fascination as astronauts rocketed into space. America’s space shuttle program inspired him to want to reach for the stars. Today, Hopkins is the commander of a four-person crew scheduled to launch into space on October 31 and head to the International Space Station. He will be aboard the same spacecraft that St. Louis County native Bob Behnken blasted off to space earlier this year. Hopkins says the plan is for his crew to be in space for about six months and return by plunging into the water.