Commencing countdown, engines on

It’s not every day an astronaut comes to town.

On Wednesday, September 28, the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science will welcome astronaut Chris Hadfield to Dalhousie University at a free event starting at 3 p.m. in the University Club's Great Hall.

The Canadian Space Agency astronaut will speak on his upcoming mission to space, set to launch in November 2012, during which he will become the first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station. His lecture will explain more about “Expedition 34/35,” onboard the Russian Soyuz 33 with two other crew members. Once at the station, they will meet up with three other crew members nearing the end of their six-month voyage.

The expedition follows years of training, and while Mr. Hadfield is already an experienced and decorated astronaut, he's now poised to take on the world – literarily.

“Being perpetually weightless outside on a space walk while watching the Earth roar by you, it’s humbling, liberating, and stupendously beautiful,” he explains. “It’s like having super powers. It’s something I wish more people could experience.”

The Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science has numerous connections with the Canadian Space Agency, says Randall Martin, Killam Professor in the Faculty of Science. Research in his department ranges from satellite remote sensing of the Earth to understanding the Martian atmosphere.

"So much of our lives depend on space activities, from the weather forecast to knowing where we are using GPS,” explains Jim Drummond, Canadian Research Chair in Remote Sounding of Atmospheres. “We won't all be able to go into space as Chris has done, but we all benefit from what people like him do for us.”