Chris Austin Hadfield (born August 29, 1959) is a Canadian retired
astronaut, engineer,
fighter pilot, and musician. The first Canadian to perform
extravehicular activity
Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity done by an astronaut in outer space outside a spacecraft. In the absence of a breathable Earthlike atmosphere, the astronaut is completely reliant on a space suit for environmental support. EVA inc ...
in
outer space
Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...
, he has flown two
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program ...
missions and also served as commander of the
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ( ...
(ISS). Prior to his career as an astronaut, he served in the
Canadian Armed Forces for 25 years as an
Air Command fighter pilot.
Hadfield has cited part of his career inspiration to have come to him as a child, when he watched the first
crewed Moon landing by American spaceflight
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, ...
on television. He attended high school in
Oakville and
Milton in
southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a primary region of the province of Ontario, Canada, the other primary region being Northern Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada. The exact northern boundary of Southern Ontario is disp ...
, and earned his
glider pilot licence as a member of the
Royal Canadian Air Cadets
The Royal Canadian Air Cadets (french: Cadets de l'Aviation royale du Canada) is a Canadian national youth program for young individuals aged 12 to 18. Under the authority of the National Defence Act, the program is administered by the Canadian F ...
. After enlisting in the Canadian Armed Forces, he earned an engineering degree at the
Royal Military College in
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between To ...
. Hadfield learned to fly various types of aircraft in the military and eventually became a
test pilot
A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...
, flying several experimental planes. As part of an exchange program with the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
and
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
, he obtained a master's degree in aviation systems at the
University of Tennessee Space Institute
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
.
In 1992, Hadfield was accepted into the
Canadian astronaut program
The Canadian Astronaut Corps is a unit of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) that selects, trains, and provides astronauts as crew members for U.S. and Russian space missions. The corps has four active members, able to serve on the International Sp ...
by the
Canadian Space Agency. He first flew in space in November 1995 as a mission specialist aboard , visiting the Russian space station ''
Mir
''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...
''. He flew again in April 2001 on , when he visited the ISS and walked in space to help install
Canadarm2. In December 2012, he flew for a third time aboard
Soyuz TMA-07M to join
Expedition 34 on the ISS. When Expedition 34 ended in March 2013, Hadfield became the commander of the ISS as part of
Expedition 35
Expedition 35 was the 35th long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The expedition started 13 March 2013, and marked the first time a Canadian astronaut – Colonel Chris Hadfield – was in command of the station. Expedi ...
, responsible for a crew of five astronauts and helping to run dozens of scientific experiments dealing with the impact of low gravity on human biology. During this mission, he chronicled life onboard the space station by taking pictures of
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
and posting them on various social media platforms. He was a guest on television news and talk shows and gained popularity by playing the ISS's guitar in space. Hadfield returned to Earth in May 2013, when the mission ended. He announced his retirement shortly after returning, capping a 35-year-long career as a military pilot and astronaut.
Personal life
Hadfield was born in
Sarnia
Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes w ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
. His parents are Roger and Eleanor Hadfield, who live in
Milton, Ontario
Milton ( 2016 census population 110,128) is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Between 2001 and 2011, Milton was the fastest growing municipality in Canada, with a 71.4% increase in popu ...
. Hadfield was raised on a corn farm in
southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a primary region of the province of Ontario, Canada, the other primary region being Northern Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada. The exact northern boundary of Southern Ontario is disp ...
. He was a member of a
Wolf Cub Pack that met at the Milton Fairgrounds. He became interested in
flying at a young age and in being an astronaut at age nine, when he saw the
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, ...
Moon landing on television.
He is married to his high-school girlfriend Helene, with whom he has three children: Kyle, Evan, and Kristin Hadfield.
[''An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth'' (Hadfield), pp. 7–10, 289.] Hadfield used to be a ski instructor at
Glen Eden Ski Area before becoming a
test pilot
A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...
.
Hadfield is of northern
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and southern
Scottish descent.
[''An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth'' (Hadfield), p. 91.] He is a devoted fan of the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
, and wore a Leafs jersey under his spacesuit during his
Soyuz TMA-07M re-entry in May 2013.
[''An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth'' (Hadfield), p. 254.] After the
2012–2013 NHL Lockout
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
ended, Hadfield tweeted a photo of himself holding a Maple Leafs logo, and stated he was "ready to cheer
is teamon from orbit". He sang the
Canadian National Anthem
"O Canada" (french: Ô Canada, italic=no) is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavallée composed the mus ...
during the Toronto Maple Leafs and
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
game on January 18, 2014, at the
Air Canada Centre
Scotiabank Arena ( French: ''Aréna Scotiabank)'', formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in the South Core district of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Ra ...
in
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
.
Education and military career
Hadfield attended
White Oaks Secondary School
White Oaks Secondary School (WOSS) is a secondary school located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
The school has north and south campuses, across the road from each other. The north campus used to be attended by students who had different levels a ...
in
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Lake Ontario between Toronto and Hamilton. At its 2021 census population of 213,759, it is Ontario's largest town. Oakville is part of the Greater Toronto Area, one of the ...
until his senior year and then graduated as an
Ontario Scholar
Ontario Scholars are high school graduates in the Canadian province of Ontario who attain an average of 80% or greater in their six best Grade 12 courses.
The award is granted by the Ontario Ministry of Education, and consists of a certificate f ...
from
Milton District High School Milton District High School (MDHS) is a public secondary school located in Milton, Ontario, Canada. MDHS, which is commonly referred to as M.D. by locals, is part of the Halton District School Board, and educates approximately 1800 students.
The ...
in 1977. As a member of the
Royal Canadian Air Cadets
The Royal Canadian Air Cadets (french: Cadets de l'Aviation royale du Canada) is a Canadian national youth program for young individuals aged 12 to 18. Under the authority of the National Defence Act, the program is administered by the Canadian F ...
, he earned a glider pilot scholarship at age 15 and a powered pilot scholarship at age 16. After graduating from high school in 1978, he joined the
Canadian Armed Forces and spent two years at
Royal Roads Military College
Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) was a Canadian military college from 1940 to 1995, located in Hatley Park, Colwood, British Columbia, near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
The facility now serves as the campus of Royal Roads University, a ...
followed by two years at the
Royal Military College of Canada
'')
, established = 1876
, type = Military academy
, chancellor = Anita Anand ('' la, ex officio, label=none'' as Defence Minister)
, principal = Harry Kowal
, head_label ...
, where he received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1982.
He also conducted his post-graduate research at the
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a public research university with a main campus in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to "Uptown" Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also operates ...
in 1982. Before graduating, he also underwent basic flight training at
CFB Portage la Prairie
Canadian Forces Base Portage la Prairie is a former military airport of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) located adjacent to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. Today the airport is operated as Portage la Prairie/Southport Airport.
History ...
. In 1983, he took honours as the top graduate from Basic Jet Training at
CFB Moose Jaw
Canadian Forces Base Moose Jaw , also known as 15 Wing Moose Jaw, is a Canadian Forces base located south of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is home to RCAF Pilot trainin ...
, and then went on to train as a tactical fighter pilot with
410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron at
CFB Cold Lake
Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake , abbreviated as CFB Cold Lake, is a Canadian Forces Base in the City of Cold Lake, Alberta.
The facility is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is approximately south of the ...
, flying the
Canadair CF-116 Freedom Fighter and the
McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet. After completing his fighter training, Hadfield flew CF-18 Hornets with
425 Tactical Fighter Squadron
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smalle ...
, flying intercept missions for
NORAD. He was the first CF-18 pilot to intercept a Soviet
Tupolev Tu 95 long-range bomber in the Canadian Arctic.
In the late 1980s, Hadfield attended the
U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) is the Air Force's advanced flight training school that trains experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test flight officer, navigators to carry out tests and evaluations of new ...
at
Edwards Air Force Base and served as an exchange officer with the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
at Strike Test Directorate at the
Patuxent River Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States naval air station located in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River.
It is home to Headquarters, Naval Air Sys ...
. His accomplishments from 1989 to 1992 included testing the
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twinjet, twin-engine, supersonic aircraft, supersonic, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, ...
and
LTV A-7 Corsair II
The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV).
The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was ...
aircraft; performing research work with NASA on pitch control margin simulation and flight; completing the first military flight of F/A-18 enhanced performance engines; piloting the first flight test of the
National Aerospace Plane
The Rockwell X-30 was an advanced technology demonstrator project for the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP), part of a United States project to create a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) spacecraft and passenger spaceliner. Started in 1986, it was canc ...
external burning hydrogen propulsion engine; developing a new handling qualities rating scale for high angle-of-attack test; and participating in the F/A-18 out-of-control recovery test program.
In May 1992, Hadfield graduated with a master's degree in aviation systems from the
University of Tennessee Space Institute
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
, where his thesis concerned high-angle attack aerodynamics of the F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet.
In total, Hadfield has flown over 70 different types of aircraft.
NASA experience
Hadfield was selected to become one of four new Canadian astronauts from a field of 5,330 applicants in June 1992. Three of those four (
Dafydd Williams
Dafydd Rhys Williams (alternately known as David Rhys Williams) OC OOnt CCFP FCFP FRCPC FRCP FRCGS (born May 16, 1954) is a Canadian physician, public speaker, CEO, author and a retired CSA astronaut. Williams was a mission specialist o ...
,
Julie Payette
Julie Payette (; born October 20, 1963) is a Canadian engineer, scientist and former astronaut who served from 2017 to 2021 as Governor General of Canada, the 29th since Canadian Confederation.
Payette holds engineering degrees from McGill U ...
and Hadfield) have flown in space. The fourth candidate,
Michael McKay, resigned as an astronaut in 1995. Hadfield was assigned by the CSA to the
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...
Johnson Space Center in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
, Texas in August, where he addressed technical and safety issues for Shuttle Operations Development, contributed to the development of the
glass shuttle cockpit, and supported shuttle launches at the
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968 ...
, in Florida. In addition, Hadfield was NASA's chief
CAPCOM (capsule communicator'')'', the voice of mission control to astronauts in orbit, for 25
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program ...
missions. From 1996 to 2000, he represented CSA astronauts and coordinated their activities as the chief astronaut for the CSA.
He was the director of operations for NASA at the
Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
The Yuri A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC; Russian: Центр подготовки космонавтов имени Ю. А. Гагарина) is a Russian training facility responsible for trai ...
(GCTC) in
Star City, Russia from 2001 until 2003. Some of his duties included co-ordination and direction of all
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ( ...
crew activities in Russia, oversight of training and crew support staff, as well as policy negotiation with the Russian Space Program and other International Partners. He also trained and became fully qualified to be a flight engineer cosmonaut in the Soyuz TMA spacecraft, and to perform spacewalks in the
Russian Orlan spacesuit
270px, Cosmonaut Maksim Surayev next to two Orlan-MK models on the International Space Station
image:Sharipov one.jpg, 270px, Cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov, next to the Orlan-M spacesuit.
The Orlan space suit (russian: Орлан, lit=Sea eagle (b ...
.
Hadfield is a civilian CSA astronaut, having retired as a colonel from the Canadian Armed Forces in 2003 after 25 years of military service. He was chief of robotics for the NASA Astronaut Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas from 2003 to 2006 and was chief of International Space Station Operations from 2006 to 2008.
In 2008 and 2009, he trained as a back-up to
Robert Thirsk
Robert Brent "Bob" Thirsk, (born August 17, 1953) is a Canadian engineer and physician, and a former Canadian Space Agency astronaut. He holds the Canadian record for the most time spent in space (204 days 18 hours). He became an officer of th ...
on
Expedition 21
Expedition 21 was the 21st long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The expedition began on 11 October 2009, with Frank de Winne becoming the first ESA astronaut to command a space mission.
The handover between Expeditio ...
.
In May 2010, Hadfield served as the commander of the
NEEMO 14 mission aboard the
Aquarius
Aquarius may refer to:
Astrology
* Aquarius (astrology), an astrological sign
* Age of Aquarius, a time period in the cycle of astrological ages
Astronomy
* Aquarius (constellation)
* Aquarius in Chinese astronomy
Arts and entertainme ...
underwater laboratory, living and working underwater for fourteen days.
NASA announced in 2010 that Hadfield would become the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station, leading
Expedition 35
Expedition 35 was the 35th long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The expedition started 13 March 2013, and marked the first time a Canadian astronaut – Colonel Chris Hadfield – was in command of the station. Expedi ...
after its launch on December 19, 2012.
His craft docked with the station on December 21. He remained on the station for five months, transferring control to
Pavel Vinogradov
Pavel Vladimirovich Vinogradov (russian: Павел Владимирович Виноградов; born 31 August 1953 in Magadan, USSR) is a cosmonaut and former commander of the International Space Station. As of January 2023, he has flown in ...
and departing on May 13, 2013.
In June 2013, one month after completing his third trip to space, Hadfield announced his retirement from the Canadian Space Agency, effective July 3, 2013.
Hadfield stated that after living primarily in the United States since the 1980s for his career, he would be moving back to Canada, "making good on a promise I made my wife nearly 30 years ago—that yes, eventually, we would be moving back to Canada."
He noted that he plans to pursue private interests outside government there.
Hadfield is enthusiastic about the prospects for a crewed mission to Mars, and when asked in 2011 if he would consider being the first to visit even if the journey to Mars were one-way, he said "I would be honoured to be given the opportunity."
Space flights
STS-74
Hadfield served as Mission Specialist 1 on STS-74 in November 1995. It was NASA's second space shuttle mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station ''
Mir
''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...
''. During the flight, the crew of
Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' attached a five-tonne docking module to ''Mir'' and transferred over 1,000 kg of food, water, and scientific supplies to the cosmonauts. Hadfield flew as the first Canadian to operate the
Canadarm
Canadarm or Canadarm1 (officially Shuttle Remote Manipulator System or SRMS, also SSRMS) is a series of robotic arms that were used on the Space Shuttle orbiters to deploy, manoeuvre, and capture payloads. After the Space Shuttle ''Columbia ...
in orbit, and the only Canadian ever to board ''Mir''.
STS-100
In April 2001, Hadfield served as mission specialist 1 on STS-100, International Space Station (ISS) assembly Flight 6A. The crew of
Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'' delivered and installed
Canadarm2, the new Canadian-built robotic arm, as well as the Italian-made resupply module ''Raffaello''. During the 11-day flight, Hadfield performed two spacewalks, which made him the first Canadian to ever leave a spacecraft and float freely in space. During his first spacewalk Hadfield experienced severe eye irritation due to the anti-fog solution used to polish his spacesuit visor, temporarily blinding him and forcing him to vent oxygen into space. In total, Hadfield spent 14 hours, 50 minutes outside, travelling 10 times around the world during his spacewalk.
[''An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth'' (Hadfield), pp. 86–96.]
International Space Station
On December 19, 2012, Hadfield launched in the Soyuz TMA-07M flight for a long duration stay on board the ISS as part of Expedition 35. He arrived at the station two days later, as scheduled, and became the first Canadian to command the ISS when the crew of Expedition 34 departed in March 2013.
On May 12, 2013, he turned over command of the ISS, and returned home aboard the
Soyuz spacecraft on May 13. He received significant media exposure during his time on the ISS, and ended his time on the station by paying tribute to
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
with a rendition of "
Space Oddity
"Space Oddity" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released on 11 July 1969 by Philips Records as a 7-inch single, then as the opening track of his second studio album ''David Bowie''. After the commercial f ...
".
Social media
Hadfield has a social media presence, with over 2,400,000 Twitter followers . He created one of the top
Reddit ask me anything (AMA) threads of all time on February 17, 2013.
He also maintains accounts on Facebook,
Tumblr, and YouTube.
His exchanges with
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship ''Enterpris ...
and other ''
Star Trek'' actors have received media coverage. Hadfield has been described by Forbes as "perhaps the most social media savvy astronaut ever to leave Earth".
Hadfield enlisted the help of his son Evan to manage his social media presence. They work in tandem to share information over the internet about aspects of life as an astronaut, both the scientific and the mundane.
[''An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth'' (Hadfield), pp. 223–226, 229–231.]
Music
During his free time on
Expedition 35
Expedition 35 was the 35th long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The expedition started 13 March 2013, and marked the first time a Canadian astronaut – Colonel Chris Hadfield – was in command of the station. Expedi ...
, Hadfield recorded music for an album, using the
Larrivée Parlor guitar previously brought to the ISS. The first song recorded in space, "Jewel in the Night", was released via YouTube on Christmas Eve 2012.
[Hadfield 2013, p. 224.]
His collaboration with
Ed Robertson
Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson (born October 25, 1970) is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the band Barenaked Ladies. He, along with former member Steven Page, founded the group in 1988. As of Page's ...
of
Barenaked Ladies and the Wexford Gleeks, ''Is Somebody Singing?''—sometimes shortened ''I.S.S.''—was aired on the
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
program
Q and released by
CBC Music online on February 8, 2013. Hadfield sang ''Is Somebody Singing'' along with singers across Canada for the national Music Monday program.
[Hadfield 2013, p. 228.] Hadfield has been credited musically on his brother
Dave Hadfield's albums. He also has performed with his brother the "Canada Song", which was released on YouTube on
Canada Day, 2014.
On May 12, 2013, after handing over command of the ISS, but before returning home, Hadfield released a music video recorded on the ISS of a modified rendition of "
Space Oddity
"Space Oddity" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released on 11 July 1969 by Philips Records as a 7-inch single, then as the opening track of his second studio album ''David Bowie''. After the commercial f ...
" by
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
.
[Hadfield 2013, pp. 251–252.] , the video has over 51 million views on YouTube.
The performance was the subject of a piece by Glenn Fleishman in ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...
'' on May 22, 2013, analysing the legal implications of publicly performing a copyrighted work of music while in
Earth orbit
Earth orbits the Sun at an average distance of 149.60 million km (92.96 million mi) in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from above the Northern Hemisphere. One complete orbit takes days (1 sidereal year), during which time Eart ...
.
In October 2015, Hadfield released ''Space Sessions: Songs From a Tin Can'', an album of songs that he had recorded on the International Space Station.
Post-retirement
In October 2013 Hadfield was interviewed by ''
Maclean's
''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian persp ...
'' magazine and appeared on its cover wearing face make-up to "replicate
Bowie's famed image from the cover of his ''
Aladdin Sane'' album." Hadfield wrote an article for the December 2013 edition of
''Wired'' magazine in which he reflects on his time spent on the International Space Station.
On October 8, 2013, the
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a public research university with a main campus in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to "Uptown" Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also operates ...
announced that Hadfield will join the university as a professor for a three-year term beginning in the Fall of 2014. Hadfield's work is expected to involve instructing and advising roles in aviation programs offered by the
Faculty of Environment and
Faculty of Science
Faculty may refer to:
* Faculty (academic staff), the academic staff of a university (North American usage)
* Faculty (division), a division within a university (usage outside of the United States)
* Faculty (instrument), an instrument or warra ...
, as well as assisting in ongoing research regarding the health of astronauts with the
Faculty of Applied Health Sciences.
Hadfield's 2013 autobiography, ''An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything''
deals with his professional life and work, and with numerous examples from the lead-up to his command of Expedition 35.
The book was a
''New York Times'' bestseller and was also the bestselling book in Canada on a Canadian subject.
In 2017, Hadfield hosted the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
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and Iya Whiteley, where 12 contestants compete to earn Hadfield's approval and recommendation as a candidate for future applications to become an astronaut. The challenges involved replicated real tests carried out by the different Space Agencies at facilities in Europe and America, including
training, with contestants eliminated each week.
Hadfield hosted a web series about space exploration on the video platform
announced that Hadfield would be joining their Space Advisory Board to help "provide advice to senior management as the company moves forward to open space for the benefit of all." Hadfield will be joined by former astronaut
.
Hadfield is the recipient of numerous awards and special honours. These include appointment to the
in 2012. He is also the only Canadian to have received both a military and civilian
, the military medal in 2001 and the civilian one in 2013. In 1988, Hadfield was granted the Liethen-Tittle Award (top pilot graduate of the
) and was named US Navy Test Pilot of the Year in 1991. He was inducted into Canada's
in 2001.
Further, the Royal Military College granted Hadfield an honorary Doctorate of Engineering in 1996 and he was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Laws from
three years later. In 2013, Hadfield was presented with an Honorary Diploma from
. Upon his taking command of the International Space Station,
, sent Hadfield a personal message of congratulations, stating "I am pleased to transmit my personal best wishes, and those of all Canadians, to Colonel Christopher Hadfield as he takes command of the International Space Station..."
In 2016 he was recognized as a Genius 100 Visionary and contributed his vision of the future in the 3D publishing milestone '"Genius: 100 Visions of the Future."'
His affiliations include membership in the Royal Military College Club,
, board member of the International Space School Foundation, and executive with the Association of Space Explorers.
In
in 1997 and there are two public schools named after him – one in Milton, Ontario and the other in Bradford, Ontario. The NASA
are also named after him.
In 2005, 820 Milton Blue Thunder Squadron was renamed 820 Chris Hadfield Squadron in honour of Hadfield, who was a cadet there from 1971 to 1978. The Town of Milton also named a municipal park and street after Hadfield.
In 2014, his name was added to the Wall of Honour at the
, a species of bee, was named in his honour.
.