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| Chris Hadfield – the astronaut's best tweets, photos and videos | Chris Hadfield – the astronaut's best tweets, photos and videos |
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| Colonel Chris Hadfield handed over command of the International Space Station yesterday, and to mark the occasion posted a remarkable performance of David Bowie’s Space Oddity in which he and his guitar float around the space station in a most peculiar way – just the way, in fact, that Bowie might have envisaged when he wrote the 1969 hit. | Colonel Chris Hadfield handed over command of the International Space Station yesterday, and to mark the occasion posted a remarkable performance of David Bowie’s Space Oddity in which he and his guitar float around the space station in a most peculiar way – just the way, in fact, that Bowie might have envisaged when he wrote the 1969 hit. |
| Hadfield will fly back to earth today in a Russian Soyuz space capsule – a reference to which he shoehorned into his version of Space Oddity – and will land in Kazakhstan around 3pm BST. | Hadfield will fly back to earth today in a Russian Soyuz space capsule – a reference to which he shoehorned into his version of Space Oddity – and will land in Kazakhstan around 3pm BST. |
| The Canadian astronaut has become a social media sensation since arriving at the space station in December and starting to tweet away from over 200 miles above the globe. “Brilliant insight into every schoolboy’s dream,” wrote Liam Rudden on Twitter, while on YouTube conner sup commented wistfully: “i wish u were my dad,” perhaps indicative of two elements of Hadfield’s appeal. | The Canadian astronaut has become a social media sensation since arriving at the space station in December and starting to tweet away from over 200 miles above the globe. “Brilliant insight into every schoolboy’s dream,” wrote Liam Rudden on Twitter, while on YouTube conner sup commented wistfully: “i wish u were my dad,” perhaps indicative of two elements of Hadfield’s appeal. |
| The Bowie video has caused a storm, with jokey conspiracy theories already doing the rounds, | The Bowie video has caused a storm, with jokey conspiracy theories already doing the rounds, |
| .@pgpowell If you look carefully the shadows are all wrong | .@pgpowell If you look carefully the shadows are all wrong |
| one YouTube user criticising Hadfield's interpretation of the song as being overly literal (correct, but a trifle harsh, considering), and the whole episode causing some confusion on BBC Radio 4’s often culturally-leaden-footed Today programme this morning; presenters Justin Webb and John Humphrys were unable to tell whether Hadfield or Bowie was singing, and Humphrys referred in passing to the singer’s daughter Zowie Bowie (actually his son, the film director now known as Duncan Jones). | one YouTube user criticising Hadfield's interpretation of the song as being overly literal (correct, but a trifle harsh, considering), and the whole episode causing some confusion on BBC Radio 4’s often culturally-leaden-footed Today programme this morning; presenters Justin Webb and John Humphrys were unable to tell whether Hadfield or Bowie was singing, and Humphrys referred in passing to the singer’s daughter Zowie Bowie (actually his son, the film director now known as Duncan Jones). |
| Bowie himself tweeted this response: | Bowie himself tweeted this response: |
| CHRIS HADFIELD SINGS SPACE ODDITY IN SPACE!“Hallo Spaceboy...”Commander Chris Hadfield, currently on... fb.me/24sZNW5ly | CHRIS HADFIELD SINGS SPACE ODDITY IN SPACE!“Hallo Spaceboy...”Commander Chris Hadfield, currently on... fb.me/24sZNW5ly |
| Hadfield has been tweeting his trip to the ISS since he set off, kissing his wife and playing a song before he left. | Hadfield has been tweeting his trip to the ISS since he set off, kissing his wife and playing a song before he left. |
| One last kiss before I go - love under glass with my wife. It's launch morning, I slept well, feel great. 10 hrs until! twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | One last kiss before I go - love under glass with my wife. It's launch morning, I slept well, feel great. 10 hrs until! twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| A few days after arriving he tweeted these pictures colleagues took of his Soyuz spacecraft docking, | A few days after arriving he tweeted these pictures colleagues took of his Soyuz spacecraft docking, |
| Earth, Moon and Soyuz: Kevin Ford took this picture as we approached Station last week. Science fiction into fact. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Earth, Moon and Soyuz: Kevin Ford took this picture as we approached Station last week. Science fiction into fact. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| Festooned with antennae, our Soyuz, just a minute before docking with the Space Station. Just beautiful! twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Festooned with antennae, our Soyuz, just a minute before docking with the Space Station. Just beautiful! twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| as well as this one of the ship in its bay afterwards, and as soon as he had settled in he proceeded to inform readers of his delight at finding his name on a locker and give them an insight into how the astronauts celebrated Christmas: | as well as this one of the ship in its bay afterwards, and as soon as he had settled in he proceeded to inform readers of his delight at finding his name on a locker and give them an insight into how the astronauts celebrated Christmas: |
| Our tree is up – on the ceiling! The beauty of a weightless Christmas. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Our tree is up – on the ceiling! The beauty of a weightless Christmas. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| Providing an insight into life on board the ISS – the human outpost in orbit around the earth which has been occupied since 2000 – has been one of Hadfield’s key achievements over the last five months. | Providing an insight into life on board the ISS – the human outpost in orbit around the earth which has been occupied since 2000 – has been one of Hadfield’s key achievements over the last five months. |
| He has shown readers how closets work in space, how astronauts play Scrabble (“easy to lose the little pieces!”) and given them a view of the private SpaceX Dragon capsule that docked with the space station to deliver supplies in March. | He has shown readers how closets work in space, how astronauts play Scrabble (“easy to lose the little pieces!”) and given them a view of the private SpaceX Dragon capsule that docked with the space station to deliver supplies in March. |
| Clearly seeing part of his role as educational, Hadfield has posted videos of Q&As with students, shown off the space station telescope and its “robonaut”, taken photos of astronauts’ recent repair-job spacewalk, and tweeted about their science experiments, at one point asking readers to suggest their own ideas for the astronauts to work on, at another posting a video explaining how a study of particles in liquid works. | Clearly seeing part of his role as educational, Hadfield has posted videos of Q&As with students, shown off the space station telescope and its “robonaut”, taken photos of astronauts’ recent repair-job spacewalk, and tweeted about their science experiments, at one point asking readers to suggest their own ideas for the astronauts to work on, at another posting a video explaining how a study of particles in liquid works. |
| Many of his tweets and posts have revolved around how he and his colleagues get by in a world without gravity. Hadfield’s video explaining crying in space is fascinating: “Your eyes will definitely cry in space , but the big difference is: tears don’t fall … So grab a hanky,” he notes. | Many of his tweets and posts have revolved around how he and his colleagues get by in a world without gravity. Hadfield’s video explaining crying in space is fascinating: “Your eyes will definitely cry in space , but the big difference is: tears don’t fall … So grab a hanky,” he notes. |
| (“How to wash your hands in space” is also worth a look, and this picture of weightless water is a treat:) | (“How to wash your hands in space” is also worth a look, and this picture of weightless water is a treat:) |
| Weightless water. This picture is fun no matter what direction you spin it. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Weightless water. This picture is fun no matter what direction you spin it. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| The space station, he has revealed, has filters that suck up the dust (because it doesn’t float), and its inhabitants can enjoy tiny loaves of bread as well as other forms of weightless food. | The space station, he has revealed, has filters that suck up the dust (because it doesn’t float), and its inhabitants can enjoy tiny loaves of bread as well as other forms of weightless food. |
| Tiny, perfect, weightless loaf of Russian black bread. Shelf life measured in years, good for spaceflight. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Tiny, perfect, weightless loaf of Russian black bread. Shelf life measured in years, good for spaceflight. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| Mixed nuts jostle for position and try to make a break for it as soon as their canister is opened, while a weightless hockey puck blows Hadfield’s mind. | Mixed nuts jostle for position and try to make a break for it as soon as their canister is opened, while a weightless hockey puck blows Hadfield’s mind. |
| But another part of the appeal of Hadfield’s posts comes from his extremely beautiful and in many ways unique pictures of the earth from space, which often – as in the case of these irrigation farms in Egypt – form surreal or abstract works of art. | But another part of the appeal of Hadfield’s posts comes from his extremely beautiful and in many ways unique pictures of the earth from space, which often – as in the case of these irrigation farms in Egypt – form surreal or abstract works of art. |
| Polka-Dot Desert - centre-point irrigation farms in Egypt. A life necessity viewed from a stellar vantage point. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Polka-Dot Desert - centre-point irrigation farms in Egypt. A life necessity viewed from a stellar vantage point. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| Australia seems particularly fertile ground for such expressionism: | Australia seems particularly fertile ground for such expressionism: |
| Australia - the dryness creates colours and textures that make the Outback immediately recognizable from space. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Australia - the dryness creates colours and textures that make the Outback immediately recognizable from space. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| Tonight's finale: Australia. Jackson Pollock would have been even further inspired by seeing the Outback from orbit. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Tonight's finale: Australia. Jackson Pollock would have been even further inspired by seeing the Outback from orbit. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| and I also loved these images if Utah’s Great Salt Lake, | and I also loved these images if Utah’s Great Salt Lake, |
| Great Salt Lake is confusing to look at from space. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Great Salt Lake is confusing to look at from space. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| the bay area around San Francisco, | the bay area around San Francisco, |
| San Francisco Bay Area. The sun glint really shows the water and cloud flow patterns. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | San Francisco Bay Area. The sun glint really shows the water and cloud flow patterns. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| this unknown location, | this unknown location, |
| If you give wind and sand enough time together, they create art. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | If you give wind and sand enough time together, they create art. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| and New York glinting as if it were made of gold. | and New York glinting as if it were made of gold. |
| New York City shining by night. Central Park is visible from space, and maybe even the light on the Statue of Liberty. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | New York City shining by night. Central Park is visible from space, and maybe even the light on the Statue of Liberty. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| The gorgeousness of the planet's bodies of water is often evident, whether in Venice or the Bahamas. | The gorgeousness of the planet's bodies of water is often evident, whether in Venice or the Bahamas. |
| Venice, Italy - the red roofs and white docks of the famed island city are visible from orbit. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Venice, Italy - the red roofs and white docks of the famed island city are visible from orbit. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| The beauty of the Bahamas is surreal; every blue that exists. Taken on New Year's Day, 2013 from the Space Station. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | The beauty of the Bahamas is surreal; every blue that exists. Taken on New Year's Day, 2013 from the Space Station. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| By contrast, some of his other pictures seem to demand a political reading – for example this one of the border of Egypt, Israel and the Gaza Strip: | By contrast, some of his other pictures seem to demand a political reading – for example this one of the border of Egypt, Israel and the Gaza Strip: |
| Tonight's finale: A rare space sight. Most borders are invisible from orbit. This one between Egypt and Israel isn't. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Tonight's finale: A rare space sight. Most borders are invisible from orbit. This one between Egypt and Israel isn't. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| and this image of a tranquil-looking Syria: | and this image of a tranquil-looking Syria: |
| Latakia, Syria - deceptively calm and beautiful, strife-torn on the shore on the sea. Peaceful from such a distance. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Latakia, Syria - deceptively calm and beautiful, strife-torn on the shore on the sea. Peaceful from such a distance. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| The moon over the earth | The moon over the earth |
| Tonight's Finale: The full moon rises over the only planet we have ever called home. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Tonight's Finale: The full moon rises over the only planet we have ever called home. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| and the northern lights above the UK are two of his photographs which could not have been taken from anywhere else. (Here he is at work with his camera.) | and the northern lights above the UK are two of his photographs which could not have been taken from anywhere else. (Here he is at work with his camera.) |
| Clear skies at last, from Cardiff to Belfast to Edinburgh to London, to the northern lights, and beyond. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Clear skies at last, from Cardiff to Belfast to Edinburgh to London, to the northern lights, and beyond. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| Part of Hadfield’s charm is his sense of humour – I liked this exclamation mark and this fish-shaped island, while here he can be seen in full-on Star Trek mode (the laser weapons are actually “pressure sensors for the toilet”). | Part of Hadfield’s charm is his sense of humour – I liked this exclamation mark and this fish-shaped island, while here he can be seen in full-on Star Trek mode (the laser weapons are actually “pressure sensors for the toilet”). |
| And he’s an old romantic too ... | And he’s an old romantic too ... |
| Seven billion hearts, but I can see only one. #ValentineFromSpace twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Seven billion hearts, but I can see only one. #ValentineFromSpace twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| Space Oddity was not the first song Hadfield had performed on the ISS’s acoustic guitar (he brought new strings up from earth for the instrument, his brother said). In December Hadfield posted what he said was some of the first original music “written for and performed on” the ISS – an acoustic guitar tune called Jewel in the Night. (I’m afraid it's not quite as good as Space Oddity.) He has also posted this recording of the ambient noise of the ISS - which is pretty loud. | Space Oddity was not the first song Hadfield had performed on the ISS’s acoustic guitar (he brought new strings up from earth for the instrument, his brother said). In December Hadfield posted what he said was some of the first original music “written for and performed on” the ISS – an acoustic guitar tune called Jewel in the Night. (I’m afraid it's not quite as good as Space Oddity.) He has also posted this recording of the ambient noise of the ISS - which is pretty loud. |
| This morning, Hadfield was posting again, writing that he was supposed to be sleeping in to rest for today’s flight home, but was finding it hard to lie in. | This morning, Hadfield was posting again, writing that he was supposed to be sleeping in to rest for today’s flight home, but was finding it hard to lie in. |
| He then posted this picture of delicate clouds over the Black Sea: | He then posted this picture of delicate clouds over the Black Sea: |
| Clouds swoop in on Crimea, a white bird on the Black Sea. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… | Clouds swoop in on Crimea, a white bird on the Black Sea. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/… |
| Reader Mike Taylor spoke for many of his 800,000 followers in response: | Reader Mike Taylor spoke for many of his 800,000 followers in response: |
| With each new @cmdr_hadfield photo-from-space, I worry that it'll be the last one. This is a very sad day. Will someone else on ISS step up? | With each new @cmdr_hadfield photo-from-space, I worry that it'll be the last one. This is a very sad day. Will someone else on ISS step up? |
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