After four decades of contribution to America's space program, George Hopson, manager of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Project at Marshall Space Flight Center, accepted NASA's Distinguished Service Medal. Awarded to those who, by distinguished ability or courage, have made a personal contribution to the NASA mission, NASA's Distinguished Service Medal is the highest honor NASA confers. Hopson's contributions to America's space program include work on the country's first space station, Skylab; the world's first reusable space vehicle, the Space Shuttle; and the International Space Station. Hopson joined NASA's Marshall team as chief of the Fluid and Thermal Systems Branch in the Propulsion Division in 1962, and later served as chief of the Engineering Analysis Division of the Structures and Propulsion Laboratory. In 1979, he was named director of Marshall's Systems Dynamics Laboratory. In 1981, he was chosen to head the Center's Systems Analysis and Integration. Seven years later, in 1988, Hopson was appointed associate director for Space Transportation Systems and one year later became the manager of the Space Station Projects Office at Marshall. In 1994, Hopson was selected as deputy director for Space Systems in the Science and Engineering Directorate at Marshall where he supervised the Chief Engineering Offices of both marned and unmanned space systems. He was named manager of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Project in 1997. In addition to the Distinguished Service Medal, Hopson has also been recognized with the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal and NASA's Exceptional Service Medal.