Chris Hadfield is a Canadian astronaut, engineer, and former Royal Canadian Air Force pilot, renowned for his pioneering work in space exploration and his captivating outreach efforts to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers. Born on August 29, 1959, in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, Hadfield developed a passion for aviation and space exploration at a young age.

Hadfield made his first spaceflight in November 1995 aboard the space shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-74, during which he helped to dock the shuttle with the Russian space station Mir. In April 2001, he flew on mission STS-100 to the International Space Station (ISS), where he served as the first Canadian commander of the ISS during Expedition 35 in 2013.

Hadfield gained international fame during his third spaceflight, Expedition 34/35, which began in December 2012. During this mission, he became the first Canadian to command the International Space Station, and he captivated the world with his engaging social media presence, including his stunning photographs of Earth and his popular videos demonstrating life aboard the ISS, including his rendition of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," which went viral.

Astronaut, Canadian, Space, Pilots & Aviators, Change, Overcoming Adversity, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Authors, Leadership, Science,