Canada

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Canadian astronaut blasts off for 5-month space mission

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 12/20/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Shamil Zhumatov / The Associated Press Chris Hadfield has his spacesuit checked. (CP)

LONGUEUIL, Que. -- Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield headed for a rendezvous with the International Space Station on Wednesday after a chilly blast-off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Russian space capsule carrying Hadfield, NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn and cosmonaut Roman Romanenko is expected to arrive Friday.

During his five-month visit, Hadfield will become the first Canadian to command the giant orbiting space laboratory when he takes over in mid-March.

It's a task former Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk says will be challenging. Thirsk spent six months on the space station in 2009.

"Chris is the ultimate authority for any emergency situations that will occur on board," Thirsk said after watching the launch from the Montreal-area Canadian Space Agency.

But like all astronauts, Hadfield has been well-prepared.

"We train over and over for on-board fires, for cabin depressurizations, for toxic atmospheres," Thirsk said. "If these kinds of events should occur, you need to react quickly."

Thirsk noted he was getting mentally fatigued toward the end of his stint and Hadfield, as space station commander, will have to keep his crew motivated.

"Chris's job as commander will be to maintain crew morale and make sure the crew paces itself well," Thirsk said. "This is a marathon, not a sprint."

When Hadfield blasted off, his wife Helene, sons Kyle, 29, and Evan, 27, and 26-year-old daughter Kristin were there to watch and listen to the roar of the booster rockets.

"I'm feeling so happy," Kristin said. "I mean, my dad just went to space. It's amazing. I'm feeling amazing."

Gov. Gen. David Johnston described Hadfield's launch as "a great day for Canada, a great day for the world of discovery and innovation."

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 20, 2012 A11

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Canada

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.