1. Biography of Chris Hadfield
2. Astronaut Career
3. Commander of the International Space Station
4. Legacy and Popularity

Biography of Chris Hadfield

Early Life and Military Career

Chris Hadfield, whose full name is Christopher Austin Hadfield, was born on August 29, 1959, in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. He grew up on a small corn farm and, like millions of children at the time, watched space launches on television, dreaming of one day being in their place. At the age of 16, even before completing high school, he obtained a pilot's license. After graduating from school, Hadfield joined the Canadian Armed Forces, but as an experienced pilot, he continued his education in a military college, specializing in technical subjects. Shortly before completing his studies, Chris underwent basic flight training courses, where he impressed instructors with his talent, and upon graduation, he was unanimously recognized as the best pilot in the courses.

Astronaut Career

In June 1992, Chris Hadfield became one of four Canadians selected to participate in the astronaut training program for spacewalks, out of over 5,300 applicants. He worked in various space centers in the United States, responsible for flight safety. As an experienced military officer, he quickly climbed the career ladder, earning a reputation for reliability and vast experience. In the early 2000s, Hadfield worked at Star City near Moscow, where he coordinated the work of the International Space Station (ISS) and, in particular, the Russian crew on board. His first flight in 1995 was one of the most important in the history of space exploration. As a commander, Chris carried out a mission to dock his shuttle with the Russian orbital station 'Mir', becoming the first Canadian to visit the Russian space station.

Commander of the International Space Station

Despite retiring and starting a peaceful family life, Hadfield was called back to service and appointed as the commander of the ISS. He spent about six months on the station and had access to the internet through modern technology. His Twitter account has approximately 900,000 followers, and his Tumblr blog has been among the top ten most read. Hadfield was the first astronaut to record videos about daily life on the spaceship and answer questions from internet users. He also shared his love for music and even brought his guitar into space. In response to requests from fans, he performed the song 'Is Somebody Singing?' live, which quickly became an internet hit. However, his biggest popularity came from a music video he recorded in May 2013. Accompanied by his guitar, he performed David Bowie's famous song 'Space Oddity'. Within hours, the video had millions of views, and even David Bowie himself praised Chris's version in his blog, stating that he never imagined someone would perform his song in space.

Legacy and Popularity

Hadfield regarded the video as a gift to his readers and his final act as an astronaut. However, journalists doubted that he would fade into obscurity. The video has now garnered over 20 million views, and stores in Canada and America sell t-shirts with his portrait. Friends and colleagues describe Chris Hadfield as a genuinely nice person who is truly deserving of global fame.

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