Chris Hadfield — Inside Curious Minds

Life arc · key inflection points

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1959–82

Farm Boy to
Fighter Pilot

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1992–95

CSA Astronaut
First Flight

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2001–11

Spacewalk &
Canadarm2

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2012–now

ISS Commander
Author & Speaker

Origin story

"On July 20, 1969, a nine-year-old farm kid watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, and everything changed. I decided right then that I was going to be an astronaut." — Chris Hadfield, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

Fast facts

📍BornSarnia, Ontario, Canada · Aug 29, 1959

🎓BAMechanical Engineering, Royal Military College (Honours)

🎓MScAviation Systems, University of Tennessee

✈️PilotRCAF fighter pilot · CF-18, CF-5, F/A-18 & 70+ types

🚀CSASelected 1992 · one of 4 from 5,330 applicants

📚BooksAn Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth · The Darkest Dark · The Apollo Murders

🏫NowDistinguished Visiting Prof., University of Waterloo

6 core themes

Leadership under pressure

Space exploration

Science communication

Resilience & preparation

Art meets science

Human potential

Key milestones & contributions

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Canadarm2 Installation

Became the first Canadian to walk in space during STS-100 in 2001, helping install Canadarm2 — Canada's robotic arm on the ISS still in use today.

2001 · STS-100

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"Space Oddity" from Orbit

Recorded and performed David Bowie's Space Oddity aboard the ISS — the first music video shot in space. 55M+ views and a renewed global interest in spaceflight.

2013 · ISS / YouTube

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Social Media from Space

Pioneered the use of social media from orbit — sharing daily life on the ISS through Twitter, photos, and videos. Brought space down to Earth for millions.

2012–13 · @Cmdr_Hadfield

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ISS Commander

First Canadian to command the International Space Station during Expedition 35. Oversaw a record 130+ experiments in a single expedition across physics, biology, and medicine.

2013 · Expedition 35

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Science Communication

Bestselling author of three books spanning memoir, children's literature, and fiction. TED Talk "What I learned from going blind in space" has 20M+ views.

2013–now · Author & Speaker

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Master Pilot & Test Pilot

Qualified on 70+ aircraft types, including the CF-18 Hornet. Exchange officer with the US Navy, test pilot with the USAF. Director of Operations for NASA in Russia.

1980s–90s · RCAF / NASA

Fields & influence

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Spaceflight3 missions · STS-74 (1995), STS-100 (2001), Soyuz TMA-07M (2012). Total: 166 days in space, 2 EVAs.

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Public engagementTransformed how space agencies communicate with the public — from institutional press releases to real-time social media storytelling.

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EducationDistinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Waterloo. Inspires STEM education globally through talks, books, and media.

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Arts in spaceWrote, performed, and recorded original music from orbit. Collaborated with Barenaked Ladies and Ed Robertson on songs bridging art and science.

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National serviceOrder of Canada, Meritorious Service Cross, Vanier Award, NASA Exceptional Service Medal. The airport in his hometown is named after him.