Astronaut Chris Hadfield Sings Space Oddity Before Returning Home From The ISS

By David Wharton | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

If you’re a regular GFR reader, the name Chris Hadfield probably rings a bell or two. During the Canadian astronaut’s five-month mission as the commander of the International Space Station, he’s become a social media sensation thanks to his videos, pictures, and even songs he’s shared with those of us down here on planet Earth. He’s answered questions we didn’t even know we had. What happens if you wring out a washcloth in microgravity? Been there. Can you cry in space? He doesn’t recommend it. Nachos, however, are a-okay.

Well, it’s the end of an era, because earlier this evening Hadfield boarded a Russian Soyuz capsule and began his trip back to the surface, along with American astronaut Tom Marshburn and Russian Roman Romanenko. They’re set to touch down in the steppes of Kazakhstan later tonight. But Hadfield had one last treat for us, seen up above: a cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”…from space!

His latest bit of astronaut awesomeness has already gone viral since he posted it yesterday, even getting a retweeting from Bowie himself. It’s a classic example of why we love Hadfield so much, and we’re truly going to miss his missives from up above. Thanks for helping making space cool again (not that we ever thought it was anything but), and here’s hoping some of the kids who have been inspired by Hadfield’s example will someday push the boundaries of human adventure even further, back to the Moon, to Mars, and beyond.

You can watch live coverage of Hadfield’s return to solid ground below, courtesy of NASA TV.

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