Best of Chris Hadfield

Ok, so maybe Chris Hadfield, astronaut extraordinaire, is no longer in space and no longer employed at the Canadian Space Agency…but that’s no reason we can’t enjoy his works of art. Gathered here are our favorite videos from Chris Hadfield’s last mission aboard the International Space Station and his return to Earth.

Shortly after his arrival at the International Space Station on December 21 accompanied by the second half of Expedition 34, flight engineer Chris Hadfield composed and recorded his first original song from the International Space Station. Entitled “Jewel in the Night,” the  song formed part of the crew’s Christmas celebration.

On February 8, Hadfield performed a duet from space with his long time friend and front man of the band Barenaked Ladies, Ed Robertson. The second space-Earth duet in history, it was the first to feature release of a new song. Hadfield and Robertson co-wrote the song during Hadfield’s mission training.

In May, Hadfield delved into space games with Mythbusters’ Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage:

Hadfield’s experiments with “cooking” in space:

Hadfield’s final song aboard ISS was a cover of David Bowie’s Space Oddity, a song of enduring popularity on the orbital scene. Hadfield not only perform this song – he filmed an entire music video to accompany it. Another space first for Commander Hadfield! Listen careful and you might catch a slight personalization of Bowie’s original lyrics….

Just before he departed the station on May 13, Chris Hadfield shared his reflections on the mission just completed.

He may have returned to Earth, but Hadfield kept inviting us to join in the wonder of spaceflight. This exit interview is worth a watch.

After their return, Hadfield and crewmate Tom Marshburn sat down with fellow astronauts Mike Massimino and Don Petit to talk about the experience of a last minute troubleshooting spacewalk conducted just days before their return to Earth:

Although not his last public appearance – Hadfield actually has a memoir in the works, so we’re sure to hear more from him – this was his final official appearance as a representative of the Canadian Space Agency.  “I’ve had such an interesting career and after 35 years it’s time to step down,” he said.

What is your favorite Hadfield moment? Tell us in the comments below!