Chris Hadfield
Chris Austin Hadfield – Canadian test pilot and astronaut of the Canadian Space Agency. Chris Hadfield is the first Canadian to go into space and the only Canadian citizen to have been on Mir.
Number of flights – 3
Flight duration: 165 days 16 h 18 min 56 s
Number of spacewalks – 2
Duration of work in outer space – 14 hours 50 min.
Status – Former CSA astronaut
Date and place of birth:
Chris Hadfield born August 29, 1959 in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Grew up in Milton, Ontario, Canada.
Education and academic qualifications:
Received his license to fly a glider in 1975, graduating from cadet school.
In 1977 Chris Hadfield graduated from Milton District High School in Milton, Ontario.
From 1978 to 1980, he attended Royal Roads Military College in Victoria, British Columbia.
In 1982 Chris Hadfield received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Royal Military College in Kingston (graduated with honours). He then completed an internship at the University of Waterloo in Ontario.
Chris Hadfield received a Master of Science degree in Aircraft Systems from the University of Tennessee in 1992.
Professional Activities:
After completing training at the Johnson Center, Chris Hadfield worked at NASA. He worked at NASA in various positions. In the Office of the Astronaut, he worked on technical and safety issues, shuttle cabin development and launch readiness at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Since 1996, he has worked as a communications operator (CapCom). During 25 shuttle missions, he served as senior spacecraft communications operator at the Mission Control Center.
From 1996 to 2000 he was the Head of the Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Crew.
From 2001 to 2003, he served as technical director of NASA’s office at the Yuri Gagarin Space Center in Star City. His responsibilities included organizing the training of international crews in Russia, as well as coordinating work between Russia and other ISS partners. He was trained as a flight engineer on the Soyuz spacecraft and worked in outer space in Russian Orlan spacesuits.
From 2003 to 2006 Chris Hadfield served as Chief of Robotics in NASA’s Astronaut Office at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
From 2006 to 2008, he headed the International Station Office at NASA’s Office of the Astronauts, where he was responsible for everything related to the selection, training, certification, support, recovery and rehabilitation of all ISS crew members.
From June 2009, after completing training with the redundant ISS crew, he worked in the ISS Operations Department and developed emergency procedures for the station.
From May 10 to 23, 2010, Hadfield was the Expedition Commander for NEEMO14, NASA’s Extreme Environment Operations Program, which aims to study the human body while in an extreme underwater laboratory environment. This lab is used to simulate the conditions of research expeditions studying the surface of asteroids, the moon and Mars.
In June 2010, Hadfield worked as part of a research team studying microphytoliths at Pavilion Lake in British Columbia. The expedition used remotely operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, and deep-sea vehicles. All of these tools were used to improve understanding of microphytolith formation and possibly to facilitate recognition of potential extraterrestrial life forms during future missions to Mars.
Military Service:
Enlisted in the Canadian Air Force in May 1978. In the summer of 1980, he completed basic pilot training at Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.
Between 1980 and 1985 he was instructed in the Canadian Air Force at numerous bases and schools, including the CT-114 Tutor at Moose Joe, Saskatchewan and the CF-18 and CF-18S at Cold Lake, Alberta.
From 1985 to 1987 he served with the 425th Squadron, Canadian Air Force, NORAD, in Bagouville, Quebec Province. He flew the CF-18S fighter jet. In June 1985, he flew for the first time to intercept the Soviet Tu-95 Bear strategic bomber.
From December 1987 through December 1988 he attended USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB in California (top honors in his class).
From December 1988 to 1992, he served at the U.S. Naval Test Center at Patuxent River Naval Air Station through a military exchange program. His activities included testing F/A-18 and A-7 aircraft, conducting research with NASA on flight modeling and flight performance with extreme longitudinal control. During this time, Chris Hadfield flew the first flight in an F/A-18 aircraft with a boosted engine, conducted the first flight test of a hydrogen external combustion engine on a National Aerospace Plane (NASP) and participated in the development of a new controllability performance scale for flight tests with large angles of attack.
Mastered more than 90 types of aircraft. Named U.S. Navy Pilot of the Year in 1991.
Military rank:
Retired Colonel, Canadian Air Force.
Space Training:
Selected as an astronaut during the second national recruitment in June 1992.
In July 1992 was selected for training as a flight specialist with NASA. From August 3, 1992, completed one year of training with the NASA astronaut candidates of the 14th set and qualified as a flight specialist.
First flight
November 12-20, 1995 as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-74.
November 14, an additional docking module delivered by the shuttle was docked to the Mir station. November 15 made the docking of the shuttle and the station “Mir”. Thus Hadfield became the only Canadian who has visited the Russian station.
The duration of the flight was 8 days and 4 hours 30 minutes and 44 seconds.
June 9, 1997 Chris Hadfield was appointed to the crew of STS-99 (later this flight was designated as STS-100).
Second flight
From April 19 to May 1, 2001 as a mission specialist on the Endeavour STS-100 shuttle crew.
The main task of the flight was to deliver supplies to the ISS in the Rafaello multifunctional cargo module (MPLM-2) and to install the Canadian Canadarm2 manipulator on the station).
During the flight he made two spacewalks:
April 22, lasting 7 hours and 10 minutes.
April 24th: 7 hours and 40 minutes.
The flight time was 11 days and 21 hours 30 minutes 00 seconds.
Chris Hadfield took part in conducting experiments on Aquarius Underwater Laboratory (belonging to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – NOAA) from October, 3 till October, 20, 2005 as a member of backup crew.
In August 2007 he was tentatively assigned to the back-up crew of the 20th expedition to the ISS (ISS-20, designated as ISS-19B until July 2008). According to these plans, the main crew is scheduled to launch on Soyuz TMA-15 in May 2009. On February 12, 2008 NASA officially announced his appointment to the back-up crew.
During the launch of Soyuz TMA-15 on May 27, 2009 he was the duplicate flight engineer of the spacecraft.
From June 22 to 28, 2008 in Sevastopol (Ukraine) he took part in the contingent crew training together with Maksim Ponomarev (Russia) and Andre Kuipers (Holland) in case of the descent to the water.
On January 16, 2010 there were reports of his assignment to the back-up crew of the expedition ISS-31/32 (launching on Soyuz 30 in March 2012).
On February 18, 2010, reports surfaced of his assignment to the lead crew of ISS-34/35 (launching on Soyuz 33 in November 2012).
Released by NASA on June 2, 2010 flight plan for ISS crew through 2013, it was reported that he was replaced by an American astronaut Kevin Ford in the back-up crew ISS-31/32, and he was appointed to the back-up crew expedition ISS-32/33 (starting on the ship Soyuz 31 in May 2012).
On September 2nd, 2010 NASA press release #10-209 confirmed his appointment to the prime crew of ISS-34/35, set to launch on Soyuz 33 in November 2012.
On June 19, 2012 in Cosmonaut Training Center together with Roman Romanenko and Thomas Marshburn he passed preflight examination training on TDC-7ST (simulator of Soyuz TMA spacecraft). On June 20, 2012 the crew took an examination training on the Russian segment of the ISS. For both training sessions the crew received a grade of “5.0”.
On June 22, 2012 Chris Hadfield was approved by the Interdepartmental Commission as the flight engineer of the back-up crew of Soyuz TMA-05M. On July 13, 2012 during the meeting of the State Commission at Baikonur Cosmodrome he was approved as a flight engineer of the back-up crew 1.
On June 22, 2012 he was approved by the interdepartmental commission as the commander of the back-up crew of Soyuz TMA-05M. On July 13, 2012, at the meeting of the State Commission at Baikonur Cosmodrome he was approved as the commander of the back-up crew.
On July 15, 2012 during the launch of Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft he was the backup flight engineer-1.
On November 27th and 28th, 2012 in the Cosmonaut Training Center together with Thomas Mashburn and Roman Romanenko he took the pre-flight examination training on the Russian segment of the ISS and on the TDC-7ST (simulator of the Soyuz TMA spacecraft). For both training sessions the crew received a grade of “4.9”.
On November 29, 2012 he was approved by the Interdepartmental Commission as the flight engineer of the main crew of Soyuz TMA-07M. On December 18, 2012 during the meeting of the State Commission at Baikonur Cosmodrome he was approved as the flight engineer of the main crew.
Third flight
On December 19, 2012 he started the third flight as a flight engineer of Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft, flight engineer of the 34th and commander of the 35th ISS main expedition together with spacecraft commander Roman Romanenko and flight engineer-2 of the spacecraft Thomas Marshburne.
On December 21, 2012 at 14:08:44 UTC (17:08:44 UTC) the spacecraft successfully docked to the ISS.
On March 14, 2013, he assumed command of the station from astronaut Kevin Ford, becoming commander of the 35th primary expedition.
On May 12, 2013, he passed command of the station to cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov.
On May 13, 2013, at 23:07:54 UTC (02:07:54 UTC), the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station. On May 14, 2013, at 02:30:50 UTC (05:30:50 UTC), the descent vehicle of Soyuz TMA-07M landed 149 kilometers southeast of the city of Jezkazgan, Kazakhstan.
The flight duration was 145 days. 14 h 18 min 12 s.
In June 2013, he retired from the space agency and from the astronaut corps.
Social activities:
Member of the Executive Committee of The Association of Space Explorers.
Awards:
Officer of the Order of Ontario (1996) and Officer of the Order of Canada (2014). He has been awarded the Medals of Canada (for distinguished service and the Queen’s Jubilee Gold Medal) and NASA for exceptional service. He is inducted into the Canada Aviation Hall of Fame honor roll. He holds honorary doctorates in law (Trent University) and engineering (Royal Military College).
Family background
Father: Roger Hadfield, civil aviation pilot.
Mother: Eleanor Hadfield.
Brother (older): Dave Hadfield.
There is also a younger brother and two sisters.
Wife: Helene Walter, since December 1981.
Sons: Kyle and Evan (born in 1985).
Daughter: Kristin.
Hobbies
Volleyball, running, skiing, horseback riding, squash. Loves to sing, play guitar and read. Composes songs.
