53 year old Canadian astronaut and undisputed king of zero gravity social media, Chris Hadfield announced his retirement yesterday afternoon. Most recently, Hadfield was commander of the International Space Station (the first Canadian to do so).
He posted this rather poignant photo of Canadian Space Agency employees welcoming him back from space.
To say goodbye to these good people today was much harder than I expected. @csa_asc
Chris Hadfield
@Cmdr_Hadfield
To say goodbye to these good people today was much harder than I expected. @csa_asc
Through his tweets, photos, and videos, Hadfield brought us closer to the experience of living in space than anyone before. Let's check out some of the highlights, shall we?
On board the International Space Station, Hadfield taught us how to laugh...
...and how to cry.
He reminded us that, even far from home, it's important to stick to your roots.
And that in space, no one can hear you clean.
He hosted live chats with tons of school children across the country during his voyage.
And showed us how to prepare a tasty lunch on a budget
He even gave us some quick photography tips...
...which was super cool because the photos he took of Earth were stunning:
St Lawrence's mouth, where the Great Lakes pour into the sea.
Chris Hadfield
@Cmdr_Hadfield
St Lawrence's mouth, where the Great Lakes pour into the sea.
Our Earth is just simply beautiful.
Chris Hadfield
@Cmdr_Hadfield
Our Earth is just simply beautiful.
Sun getting ready to set into the horizon of Southwestern Australia.
Chris Hadfield
@Cmdr_Hadfield
Sun getting ready to set into the horizon of Southwestern Australia.
African saltwater marsh - an incredibly complex ecosystem like nothing I've ever seen.
Chris Hadfield
@Cmdr_Hadfield
African saltwater marsh - an incredibly complex ecosystem like nothing I've ever seen.
His tweets caught the attention of William Shatner...
@WilliamShatner Yes, Standard Orbit, Captain. And we're detecting signs of life on the surface.
Chris Hadfield
@Cmdr_Hadfield
@WilliamShatner Yes, Standard Orbit, Captain. And we're detecting signs of life on the surface.
...so, of course, Hadfield hung out with him...in SPACE.
Oh, and he also made a totally rad, full-length music video covering David Bowie's 'Space Oddity'
View this video on YouTube
All told, it appears Commander Hadfield didn't waste a second up in space...and for that, we thank you!
Happy retirement, Chris!
