Maclean’s, a Canadian news publication, released images today of this week’s printing. On the cover is Commander Chris Hadfield formerly of the International Space Station.
Commander Hadfield did something that no other astronaut has done before him. He cultivated a healthy relationship with the public while in space. Hadfield would tweet from the ISS, taking pictures out of the porthole windows and giving all of us a view of what it’s like to be in space.
Since the end of the Apollo program it seems that public awareness of our presence in space has been waning. Commander Hadfield changed all that. I would wait anxiously for his next video; even mundane things like clipping your fingernails can be exciting in zero gravity, and Hadfield brought the world into his orbital living room to show us how everything was done.
Hadfield is also a musician. He was able to swindle his way into getting a guitar in space and would play tunes while floating weightless, microphone drifting away slowly to his side. The images were spectacular.
That’s what made Hadfield’s final contribution in space so perfect. He covered David Bowie’s Space Oddity and filmed it, completing, as far as I’m aware, the first ever music video made in space.
I’ve often wondered why vapid pop stars can gain so much interest for their mediocre talents while there are other people riding controlled bombs off planet. What he and his colleagues are doing seems so much more impressive and deserving of recognition. Hadfield broke through all that.
He gave us our first astronaut rock star, hopefully the first of many. So I was glad that Maclean’s gave him the star treatment, making him up in Bowie’s iconic makeup from the Aladdin Sane album. I’m glad to see some recognition going to a positive role model, someone who deserves it, I hope it continues.
Check out Commander Hadfield’s other videos:
How to Wash Your Hands in Space
How to Make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich in Space
and more!