Astronaut Chris Hadfield chats with family during space station linkup

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield and his two fellow space travellers have arrived at the International Space Station and were welcomed by the three crewmembers who are already on board.

After a round of handshakes and bearhugs, Hadfield, NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn and cosmonaut Roman Romanenko chatted with family members on the ground through a video linkup.

Hadfield had a chance to talk with his wife Helene (Helen-ah’) two sons, 29-year-old Kyle and 27-year-old Evan and his daughter Kristin, who is 26.

There was a round of laughter on the space station, when his oldest son Kyle asked his 53-year-old father for a pony.

Hadfield’s responded that Christmas was coming and he gave what he said was his usual answer: “Ask your mother”.

The three space-bound astronauts left Earth after blasting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday

During his five-month visit, Hadfield will become the first Canadian to command the giant orbiting space laboratory when he takes over on March 14.

This is the third space journey for the 53-year-old space veteran.

Hadfield’s first space trip was in November 1995 when he visited the Russian Space Station Mir.

His second voyage was a visit to the International Space Station in April 2001, when he also performed two space walks.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today