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Canada’s First Spacewalker: Chris Hadfield

Imagine being the first Canadian to perform a spacewalk! Astronaut Chris Hadfield had that honour on Mission STS-100.

• Chris Lends a Hand: Chris’s Role on Mission STS-100
• A Stellar Biography: Chris Is # 1 with Us!

Chris Lends a Hand: Chris’ Role on Mission STS-100

Not only was Chris the first Canadian spacewalker, but he was also the lead spacewalker on this 13-day mission! In this role, he helped to install Canadarm2, the next generation Canadarm, on the International Space Station. This arm will be used to help with future construction and assembly of this floating space lab.

To perform this role, Chris had to train at the CSA’s Mission Operations and Training Simulator (MOTS) facility. There, all astronauts who will be testing or using Canadarm2 learn the basics of operating this new generation of robotics technology. Like any other astronaut, Chris has to train in the operations facility in Saint-Hubert, Quebec to practice some very complicated moves before he tries them out in space.

Chris performed two EVAs. The first EVA was used to unload and test Canadarm2. Chris stood on the end of the shuttle arm with American astronaut Scott Parazynski, to help deploy Canadarm2. Another crew member, Umberto Guidoni, operated the shuttle arm, while James Voss controlled Canadarm2. James commanded the arm to raise itself into a "parked" position.

In the second EVA, Chris and Scott rewired the base for the space arm so it can be used to transfer equipment. Chris had the opportunity to test out the arm by running it through a series of manoeuvres. Once those checks were completed, crewmember Susan Helms operated Canadarm2 and Chris operated the shuttle arm. Canadarm2 was commanded to hand its pallet back to the shuttle arm making it the "first Canadian Robotic handshake in space."

A Stellar Biography: Chris Is # 1 with Us!

Let’s take a walk in Chris’s shoes! How do you become a Canadian astronaut? What does it take to be number one?

School First!

Colonel Chris Hadfield was born in Sarnia on August 29, 1959 and raised in Milton, Ontario. He graduated from Milton District High in 1977 as an Ontario Scholar. He spent two years at Royal Roads Military College in Victoria, British Columbia and completed his bachelor degree in mechanical engineering with honours at the Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario, in 1982.

After conducting post-graduate research at the University of Waterloo in Ontario in 1982, he went on to study flying. That was followed up with a master of science degree in aviation from the University of Tennessee in 1992.

Being Number One

You need a lot of experience before you can become an astronaut. Chris demonstrated strong talents and abilities in aviation that have consistently kept him at the top of the class or have given him the opportunity to accomplish a lot of "firsts" in Canadian space history.

Chris started as an Air Cadet and won a glider pilot scholarship at age 15 and a powered pilot scholarship at age 16. Everything just took off from there! Take a look!

• 1978: He joined the Canadian Armed Forces.
• 1980: He was the top pilot at basic flight training in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.
• 1982-83: He was the overall top graduate at Basic Jet Training in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
• 1984-85: Chris studied fighter and CF-18 training in Cold Lake, Alberta. For the next three years, he would fly for NORAD.
• 1985: In June, Chris flew the first CF-18 intercept of a Soviet "Bear" aircraft. He also graduated from the USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base in California.
• 1989: He became an exchange officer with the U.S. Naval Air Test Center at the Patuxent River, Maryland.
• 1989-92: Some highlights include flight research with NASA and making the first military flight of F/A-18 advanced performance engines and the first flight test of the National Aerospace Plane’s external burning hydrogen propulsion.
• 1992: In June, Chris was selected as one of four Canadian astronauts out of 5,330 candidates and was assigned by the CSA to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston by August. Highlights include studying technical and safety issues for Shuttle Operations Development, shuttle glass cockpit development, and launch support at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He was also NASA’s voice in Mission Control for 25 shuttle missions and was the Chief Astronaut at the CSA for four years.
• 1995: Chris was the first and only Canadian astronaut to board the Russian Space Station Mir, during mission STS-74. During this mission, he and the crew aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis helped to deliver food, water, and scientific equipment for the cosmonauts. He was also the first Canadian Mission Specialist in space and the first Canadian astronaut to operate the Canadarm.
• 2001: Chris was the first Canadian to perform a spacewalk on Mission STS-100! He helped to install Canadarm2, the next generation in Canadian space robotics.

Staying Grounded

Chris balances his time in space with time for himself and his wife, Helene, and their three children. Here on Earth, Chris enjoys a number of sports including skiing, soccer, volleyball and squash. He also likes to write, sing, and play guitar.