
ISS Commander Chris Hadfield Covers ‘Space Oddity’ in Space - gokhan
http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/05/13/watch-commander-chris-hadfield-covers-space-oddity-in-space/
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tiredofcareer
It is my opinion that Chris Hadfield has done vast amounts more toward
popularizing space travel than NASA has in its entire run, the televised moon
landings notwithstanding. The general public even got bored of going to the
moon after the first few trips, as _Apollo 13_ dramatizes, but Cmdr. Hadfield
has cultivated an enormous, captivated audience for what is arguably routine
space travel. (That's not a dig at NASA; it's a compliment to Hadfield.)

That accomplishment is even more notable because while Canada has a space
agency, most of the world wouldn't consider Canada "spacefaring" in the broad
sense (also not a dig at Canada). That a man challenged himself in his career
to become an astronaut without a clear path to orbit, then reached a position
where he can bring space travel to YouTube, Reddit, schools, and countless
young minds in a new generation with the light touch required to "make it
stick" is an accomplishment worthy of immense praise. Maybe a Nobel.

EDIT: Holy cow, this got flagged off the front page in the time it took me to
get coffee.

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untog
_It is my opinion that Chris Hadfield has done vast amounts more toward
popularizing space travel than NASA has in its entire run_

I'm going to give an opinion here that has no evidence- so consider me devil's
advocate-ing, I'd love to see contrary evidence. I have long suspected that
Chris Hadfield has been phenomenally popular among the tech-inclined, tweeting
classes- but has had a far smaller impact on the 'everyday' person.

I do not mean this as a slight to him in any way- I think he has done
everything and anything that he could. But the mainstream media seems
uninterested- the height of the NASA space faring days was when there were
about four TV channels anyone watched- the mindshare it captured is incredibly
difficult if not impossible to replicate today. It's very sad.

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tiredofcareer
Young people are not the mainstream media's target audience, but they are
Hadfield's. The obvious undercurrent to his efforts is to get more kids
interested in science, engineering, and potentially space travel; mainstream
media doesn't get ratings out of that, so it isn't really worth covering for
them. This Bowie cover seems to be gaining some steam, though; as another
poster mentioned, I've heard about it from several people not in my usual
"tech" circle.

Listening to the kids react in wonderment as he demonstrated wringing a towel
out in orbit really drove home that he's reaching, and _really_ reaching, the
right audience in a way that NASA has struggled with for decades. He is
exceedingly well-educated and is probably aware of declining interest in STEM
among younger kids and _especially_ declining interest in space travel as a
whole. (I don't have data to back that up, just basic anecdotal experience
much like you, but it seems true.)

~~~
untog
I can believe that he has impacted kids. I'd be interested to know how
widespread coverage of what he's been doing has been in schools- and how far
it extends beyond suburban middle-class kids.

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danso
When I was young, I just thought astronauts were lucky people who got to go to
space. It wasn't until I got older and read through their bios (and such books
as, The Right Stuff), that I realized they were actual uber-men/women...not
only good at operating a space shuttle, but at a hundred other skills that may
be needed when you're in space, including musical performances.

~~~
arundelo
A couple quotes from Hadfield's Reddit account:

 _We are trained to be able to do everything onboard - we have to be. It takes
many years._

 _To be an astronaut who orbits earth and stays for a while, it needs to
become your main life's work. It takes: physical fitness to the highest
standard, an advanced technical degree, and a proven ability to make good
decisions when consequences matter. Then apply to the Space Agency of your
country, and compete with the thousands who also want to fly in space._

Sources:

[http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/18pik4/i_am_astronaut_...](http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/18pik4/i_am_astronaut_chris_hadfield_currently_orbiting/c8gvqdq)

[http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/18pik4/i_am_astronaut_...](http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/18pik4/i_am_astronaut_chris_hadfield_currently_orbiting/c8gvv6u)

~~~
danso
I met a backup astronaut (well, one who hadn't yet gone up to space) a few
years ago...among her amazing engineering achievements, which I thought
would've been enough for going into space, she was also a Division I NCAA
track athlete.

The trials for Navy SEALS and other elite military ops are well-discussed...I
wonder if NASA has any extreme tests they run...such as dropping off an
astronaut on a remote island with nothing but flint and tinder and a shaving
mirror and having to build a shelter with functioning refrigeration by the end
of the week.

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Gravityloss
You should read Mike Mullane's "Riding Rockets". It has some weird details
about the application process, including strange medical procedures...

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sghill
He's done some really great work in engaging the public with the ISS. He has a
bunch of videos on the Canadian Space Agency YouTube Channel[1]. Wringing out
Water on the ISS - for Science![2] was the one that got me hooked. Hopefully
the next commander keeps these excellent videos going.

[1]:
[https://www.youtube.com/user/canadianspaceagency/videos?view...](https://www.youtube.com/user/canadianspaceagency/videos?view=0)

[2]: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8TssbmY-GM>

~~~
peterb
His response to Captain Kirk was epic.
<https://twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/status/286948264236945408>

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peterb
Commander Hadfield is an inspiration. I wish him a safe trip home.

~~~
ceejayoz
I wish he'd stay up there! :-)

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alexqgb
It's best that he doesn't.

"Most of what we have learned about living in space is that we should not live
in space. We are designed for gravity; without it, strange things happen to
both body and mind. For each month spent in space, humans can lose up to two
per cent of their bone mass. This means that each day, for hours on end, the
ISS becomes the world’s highest-flying gym to keep its occupants fit. But even
with such precautions, some returning space travellers require months of
rehabilitation to readjust to life on Earth. Others, despite having access to
the best facilities and treatments available, experience headaches, sight
loss, and undiagnosed physical and psychological frailty for the rest of their
lives."

[http://www.aeonmagazine.com/nature-and-cosmos/greg-klerkx-
sp...](http://www.aeonmagazine.com/nature-and-cosmos/greg-klerkx-space-
travel/)

~~~
ceejayoz
I'm well aware of the effects of weightlessness on the body.

It doesn't change the fact that I've greatly enjoyed his presence and I'm
completely bummed that he's gotta come back to boring old Earth.

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LeeHunter
Since none of the US media outlets seem to mention it, I'm wondering if most
people know that Hadfield is a Canadian.

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corresation
As a Canadian I am a bit uncomfortable with the constant nationalizing of
Hadfield (never by Hadfield himself, but instead by people who want to make
something of it online).

The I in ISS is about international cooperation, and Hadfield's adventure was
made possible by many great people in many great nations. He is a great
person, but the fact that he's a great person doesn't make me a better person
beyond that we share a world.

~~~
jetti
The most I've seen about Hadfield being Canadian is on YouTube where there are
comments that basically amount to "Go America". There is the standard reply
that "You know he is Canadian, right?".

As a US citizen, I'm uncomfortable with the constant jump by the masses to
assume that everybody that does something has to be from the US. You are
correct that the ISS is about international cooperation, so isn't it good the
nations that are involved get their recognition?

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sergiotapia
I love how he has managed to capture the interest of young people. 14 year
olds are loving his adventures in space and that´s a good thing.

How many kids do you think this man has inspired to pursue a career in an
engineering related field?

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k_infinite
I can imagine, how you fall in love with space and the view and your heart
breaks a little (or a lot), when your time up there is nearing its end and you
have to give it all up, knowing that it was a chance of a lifetime, never to
be had again. A feeling of having been punched in the stomach, it almost feels
like mourning.

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mikeash
Things I am envious of from this video:

1\. Being in space.

2\. His mustache.

Things I now know that I didn't know before seeing this video:

3\. There is at least one guitar currently in space.

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verandaguy
The only thing Chris Hadfield can't do is _not_ be awesome. Even clipping his
nails in space (<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xICkLB3vAeU>) is interesting.

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youngerdryas
Freaking awesome. By the way even though this one was mostly a keyboard song
Space Oddity is a great song to start learning guitar.

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youngerdryas
Encore - Life on Mars

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donohoe
Well, he forgot the original lyrics in places and improv'd.

HOW. EMBARRASSING.

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donohoe
Sarcasm people! Jeez.

