Hadfield has earned a loyal social media following as he continues to post messages and videos from space, his various accounts partially maintained by his earthbound sons. Hadfield, also an enthusiastic guitarist, even did an 'ask me anything' session on popular discussion forum Reddit. With the ISS visible tonight from Ireland, we look at twelve of his most memorable transmissions since he took command of the ISS in December 2012.
Cleaning up a mess... in space
A rag is an astronaut's best friend in space - whether that's a Russian rag or a Canadian rag! If some unwanted substance starts drifting around in zero gravity, Hadfield informs us to simply grab the nearest rag (or baby wipe for the more troublesome spillages) and clean up. Nasty leaks, however, require a specialised contamination clean-up kit.
Making a sandwich... in space
Hope you prefer your wraps to your rolls if you intend on being an astronaut. Bread is too crumbly for space station consumption, so vacuum packed tortillas are the order of the day. The tortillas can be stored for a year-and-a-half Hadfield demonstrates how to make a honey and peanut butter ‘sandwich’ below... “Not too bad”, apparently.
Brushing your teeth... in space
Standard toothbrush, standard (communal) tube of toothpaste... this one’s relatively straightforward, barring the weightless water physics and need to swallow the toothpaste when finished (Hadfield says “what else am I going to do? Just put it in a rag and have a dirty rag? Doesn’t make any sense”). It’s also easier just to rinse the brush in your mouth.
Crying... in space
This one’s fascinating. While you can certainly still cry in space, the lack of gravity means the tears won’t simply roll down your cheeks. Instead they will clump together beneath your eye and create a massive water bubble. As you float around the bubble will move across your face. Best just to grab a towel and sort it out sharpish.
Getting your haircut... in space
Astronauts need to be firm believers in the old Simpsons adage of ‘a haircut you could set your watch to’. The specialised electric hair clipper the ISS use is hooked up to a vacuum cleaner to ensure the stray hair doesn’t just simply float away. Hadfield has tweeted and filmed the haircutting procedure:
Shaving... in space
Another personal grooming technique not too far removed from its Earth equivalent. Apart from the special astronaut shaving gel (the epically named ‘Astroedge’), the method uses a standard razor, although cloth is used in place of water. That damn fine moustache is harder to maintain though, requiring a vacuum cleaner.
Cutting your nails... in space
You don’t want cut nails clogging the instruments... so the ISS crew cut them beside air ducts to ensure the trimmings don’t simply float away.
Performing a duet... in space
Hadfield brought his guitar to space - and even got a chance to use when he performed a live duet with fellow Canadian band Barenaked Ladies.
Exercising... in space
Despite the name of this video, it is not not, unfortunately, a zero-gravity Harlem Shake. It does, however, give an insight into the exercise routines of the ISS crew.
Maintaining your space suit... in space
In this second sequel to the Stanley Kubrick classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, Chris Hadfield maintains his “one person spaceship” to the rhythm of Strauss’ Blue Danube Waltz.
Talking to William Shatner... in space
Two space icons connected through the magic of Twitter and telephone (and other much more complicated technology, I'm sure). Hadfield even sneaks in a few cheeky Star Trek references as he converses with the man famed for his portrayal of Commander James T. Kirk.
Paddy's Day... in space
Hadfield’s 630,000 strong twitter following is mostly down to his ongoing series of tweets documenting various geographical locations from the ISS. Here’s the photo of Dublin he tweeted on St Patrick’s Day...
St. Patrick's Day Finale: Dublin, with her port standing out clearly to photographers in Earth orbit. twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/…
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) March 17, 2013
He even dressed up for the occasion:
Wearing the green - Happy St. Patrick's Day from the International Space Station! twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/…
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) March 17, 2013
