Episode 22: Canada’s (and maybe the World’s) Most Famous Astronaut- Chris Hadfield
When the call came from the organizers of Wordfest (a Calgary-based arts organization that produces one of Canada's largest international literary festivals) if I’d be willing to conduct a one-on-one interview with famous astronaut-turned-author Chris Hadfield in front of a sold out audience, I didn’t hesitate. “Of course,” I said. “Ummm…what does he want to talk about?”
The hook was his latest book, a work of alternative history fiction called “Final Orbit”. The third installment in Hadfield's thrilling Apollo Murders series, the books are a Cold War-era space fiction saga blending real history with suspenseful plots.
But selfishly, I wanted to pick his brain on the real issues of the day. What does he think about the modern day race to the moon? What about commercial space travel, the threat of American expansionism, the future of AI, even why so many people are fascinated once again by UFOs? I wanted to know what new frontier Hadfield is exploring.
Thankfully, he weighed in on all of that, and much more.
Hadfield’s list of accomplishments is almost unbelievable. He’s the first Canadian to walk in space, and the first astronaut to operate the Canadarm. He has flown in 3 missions, helped build 2 space stations, performed 2 spacewalks, crewed the Shuttle and Soyuz, and in 2013 became the commander of the International Space Station for six months off planet.
Prior to his becoming an astronaut, Chris Hadfield was a tactical fighter pilot with the Canadian Armed Forces. He has flown over 70 different types of aircraft on various missions and test flights, being named the Top Test Pilot in both the US Air Force and the US Navy and he has been inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.
In 2015, he released a musical album, Space Sessions: Songs From a Tin Can, the first full-length album to be recorded off-planet. Songs From a Tin Can is featured on Ted.com for his talk, “What I Learned from Going Blind in Space”, which has been viewed more than 11 million times.
Hadfield is the co-creator and host of the internationally acclaimed BBC series Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?, as well as the co-host, with actor Will Smith, of National Geographic’s One Strange Rock, directed by Darren Aronofsky. He also produces the celebrated Rare Earth series on YouTube and is the creator of the on-stage celebration Generator, which combines science, comedy, and music.
Additionally, Hadfield is an adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo, an adviser to SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, and Chair of the Board of the Open Lunar Foundation. In 2023, he was asked to advise and assist King Charles III in exploring sustainability in space.
Click below to boldly go straight to the interview.
