Commodore Hadfield visits Edinburgh school

WORLD-famous astronaut Chris Hadfield gave students an insight into space travel when he spoke at an Edinburgh school yesterday.The Canadian astronaut, who has logged 4,000 hours in space,

Astronaut Chris Hadfield famous. Picture: HeMedia

became an internet hit after videos of him singing David Bowie’s Space Oddity were widely viewed on social networking sites. The Liberton High students were captivated by the retired astronaut’s tales, including the difficulty of tying a shoelace in space and the delights of rehydrated pizza slices for dinner.

The 54-year-old returned from his final mission earlier this year, after serving as commander of the International Space Station. He recalled viewing parts of Scotland during his return to earth and talked of the “beauty of lochs and fjords” he had seen.

He said “one of the hardest things” faced by astronauts during their missions is weightlessness.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield famous. Picture: HeMedia

He told how they initially struggle to cope with gravity when they return to earth and said they “can’t balance for days”.

First Minister Alex Salmond joined Cmdr Hadfield for the talk at the school, where students were given a demonstration of the equipment astronauts use.