Chris Hadfield
Colonel Chris Hadfield is an astronaut, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and global speaker. He commanded the ISS, advises tech companies, and co-founded the Space Stream at the Creative Destruction Lab. He served with NASA, the military, and the Canadian Space Agency, flying three space missions and performing two spacewalks.
Hadfield's TED talk has over 20 million views, and he authored five best-selling books. He also released an album recorded in space, featuring his viral cover of David Bowie’s Space Oddity.
Acclaimed for making outer space accessible to millions, and for infusing a sense of wonder into our collective consciousness not felt since humanity first walked on the Moon, Hadfield continues to bring the marvels of science and space travel to everyone he encounters.
Prior to his becoming an astronaut, Chris Hadfield was a tactical fighter pilot with the Canadian Armed Forces. He has flown over 70 different types of aircraft on various missions and test flights, being named the Top Test Pilot in both the US Air Force and the US Navy and was inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.
Over the course of his career, Hadfield pursued education at the Royal Roads Military College, in Victoria, British Columbia, followed by two years at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
In 1995, Hadfield became the first Canadian to walk in space, and the first astronaut to operate the Canadarm. He has flown in 3 missions, built 2 space stations, performed 2 spacewalks, crewed the Shuttle and Soyuz, and in 2013 became the commander of the International Space Station for six months off planet.
Formerly NASA’s director of operations, Hadfield is a heavily decorated astronaut, engineer, and pilot whose many awards include the Order of Canada, the Meritorious Service Cross, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.