Don’t be surprised if you get something in your eye while you watch Commander Chris Hadfield’s surprisingly good cover of the David Bowie classic.
The days of those fun and educational “What happens when you puke in space?” spots are behind us now, but astronaut Chris Hadfield, former commander of the International Space Station, cooked up one final video before bidding farewell, and it’s a doozy: a cover of the David Bowie classic “Space Oddity.”
It’s an obvious choice but a good one nonetheless, and Hadfield changes up the lyrics just enough to suit his situation on the ISS. But what makes it really impressive is how good it is; nobody’s going to confuse Hadfield with Michael Bublé, but the man can carry a tune. The video, produced by Hadfield’s son Evan, is awfully good too, with some stunning views of Earth alongside shots of the astronaut floating around the cramped confines of the space station.
Good morning, Earth! We’re supposed to be sleeping late to be rested for tonight’s Soyuz flight home, but I’m finding it hard to sleep in.— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) May 13, 2013
It’s especially poignant because this will almost certainly be Hadfield’s last journey into space. According to the Ottawa Citizen, the Canadian Space Agency is being hit with budget cuts and may be asked to refocus its priorities and plans; there are also currently no Canadian astronauts scheduled to take part in future missions and if any are added, there are two others slated to take spots ahead of him.
Published: May 13, 2013 02:53 pm