Chris Austin Hadfield

Astronaut

• Born: August 29, 1959
• Place of Birth: Sarnia, Ontario

Contribution: Hadfield was the first Canadian to serve on the Kennedy Space Center’s support team, the first Canadian astronaut to serve as a mission specialist on the space shuttle Atlantis, the first Canadian to board the Russian space station Mir and, in 2001, the first Canadian astronaut to walk in space. In recognition of his contributions to the fields of aeronautics and aviation, Hadfield received NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal in 2002 and was inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame in 2005.

Early Life and Education

Chris Austin Hadfield was born August 29, 1959, in Sarnia, Ontario. He grew up on his family’s farm near Milton with his mother, Eleanor, his father, Roger, and two brothers, David and Philip. Roger, an Air Canada pilot, kept a Piper Cub plane on the farm and introduced Chris to flying. As a teenager, Chris joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. When he was fifteen, he earned a glider license, and the following year, he earned a pilot’s license.

Hadfield enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces in May 1977. He completed basic flight training in Manitoba and, in 1980, earned the top pilot award. Two years later, he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Royal Military College in Ontario and went on to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. In 1983, Hadfield completed basic jet training at the top of his class.

Early Career

Hadfield began his career with the Canadian Forces in Quebec. For three years, he flew CF-18s (Canadian fighter aircraft) with the 425 Squadron. He was the first CF-18 pilot to intercept a Soviet “Bear” aircraft. From the Canadian Forces in Quebec, he went to the US Air Force’s test pilot school. In 1988, he again graduated at the top of his class. The following year, he accepted a position as an exchange officer at the US Naval Air Test Center in Maryland, where he tested dozens of planes, engines, and air tactics; however, he mainly tested F/A18s (American fighter aircraft).

Hadfield forced planes beyond their limits as a way of testing recovery methods. He was named US Navy Test Pilot of the Year in 1991. While at the Naval Air Test Center, Hadfield also worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Space Program

In 1992, Hadfield earned a master of science in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee. He applied to Canada’s astronaut program, and in June 1992, he learned he was one of four applicants chosen from a pool of more than five thousand. Later that summer, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) sent Hadfield to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas.

Hadfield’s early work for NASA focused on astronaut training and the safety of the space shuttle program. In 1995, he joined the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis as mission specialist. It was the first time a Canadian astronaut served as an Atlantis crew member. After his first trip to space, Hadfield spent five years as chief capsule communicator (CAPCOM). He provided communication from mission control to the astronauts on the shuttle. In 2001, he went into space on the space shuttle Endeavour and performed two “spacewalks.”

Later that year, Hadfield traveled to Russia to work at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center as NASA’s director of operations and to complete cosmonaut (the Russian term for astronaut) training. In 2003, Hadfield concluded his service in Russia and retired from the Canadian military.

From 2003 to 2006, Hadfield served as chief of robotics at NASA, and then from 2006 to 2008, he served as chief of operations for the International Space Station (ISS). In 2010, Hadfield became involved in underwater research for NASA. One program tested equipment designed for spaceflight in the ocean near Florida, while another program used the unique characteristics of Canada’s Pavilion Lake to help scientists learn how they might recognize life forms on other planets.

During the latter part of 2010, Hadfield was assigned to a 2013 ISS mission. The five-month mission included a flight on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and service as commander of the ISS—another first for a Canadian. While in orbit, Hadfield sang, played guitar, and sent tweets back to Earth, in addition to performing his duties as commander. After transferring command of the ISS to Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, Hadfield, along with US astronaut Tom Marshburn and Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, landed safely in south-central Kazakhstan in May 2013.

Hadfield retired from the CSA on July 3, 2013 to pursue other opportunities, including the publication of his book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life, in October of that year. In 2018, he was honored with induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame. Hadfield was also the author of two suspense thrillers, 2022’s The Apollo Murders and The Defector, published in 2023.

Personal Life

Hadfield and his wife, Helene, have three children together. A guitarist and musician, he is a member of the all-astronaut band Max Q.

Bibliography

“Chris Austin Hadfield.” Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, 2024, cahf.ca/chris-austin-hadfield/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.

“Biography of Chris Hadfield.” Canadian Space Agency, 17 Sept. 2024, www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/canadian/former/bio-chris-hadfield.asp. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.

Chung, Andrew. “Canada’s ‘Down to Earth’ Astronaut.” Toronto Star 19 Apr. 2001: A1. Print.

Dotto, Lydia. “Chris Hadfield." Canadian Encyclopedia, 28 May 2024, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chris-hadfield. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.

Head, Elan. “Rock-It Man.” Canadian Skies July/Aug. 2013: 3–7. PDF file.

Kane, Laura. “Canada’s Rocket Man Comes Back Home.” Toronto Star 14 May 2013: A2. Print.

Lunau, Kate. “The Wonder of Chris Hadfield.” Maclean’s. Maclean’s, 28 May 2013. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.

Malik, Tariq. “Astronaut Sends Chinese New Year Greetings from Space.” Space.com, 10 Feb. 2013, www.space.com/19714-astronaut-chinese-new-year-space.html. Web. 16 Aug. 2013. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.

Ong, Josh. “ISS Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s Reddit AMA Is Out of This World.” Next Web., 18 Feb. 2013, thenextweb.com/news/iss-astronaut-chris-hadfields-reddit-ama-is-out-of-this-world. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.