Hadfield in the round tonight
Ireland’s favourite astronaut, Commander Chris Hadfield, will be the second guest to appear on UTV Ireland’s brand new entertainment series, ‘Pat Kenny in the Round’, this coming Monday at 9pm.
The first Canadian ever to enter space – known for his dulcet tones and love for Ireland – Commander Hadfield speaks candidly about his personal and professional life, how he brought millions of followers on a social media journey through space, and his live performance with The Chieftains from the International Space Station.
Speaking about his love for Ireland and how this country marks a special moment on any space expedition, Commander Hadfield said:
“Ireland actually is, as everybody knows, geographically uniquely situated. But it is also unique for astronauts because of the long haul across the Atlantic – especially right after launch. You come up and arc across the North Atlantic and right at the apex of our orbit, we cross the coast of the southern half of Ireland. And so, it is the first thing you see, after your long voyage across the Atlantic. There is an anticipation of it.”
Talking about his infamous Tweet as Gaeilge and his accompanying photo of a lit Dublin skyline by night, he said:
“One thing I learnt a long time ago is to be respectful – and I thought how best to honour the people who live in this land, especially with my daughter living here in Dublin, than to remark on the beauty of that land in its own language.”
Having spent 166 days in space over 3 separate missions, Commander Hadfield also reflected on his experience living in the International Space Station, including one especially memorable space-walk:
“The best gift I ever received in my life – I was holding onto the spaceship and I got myself perfectly still until I was just holding on with the faintest pressure in my fingertips. Then I got myself dead still- and just let go. I was floating through the universe, with the world and this giant, silent spaceship next to me, where all I could really see was where we actually are in the universe. It was an amazing, inspiring and peaceful moment.”
Throughout the astronaut’s final space mission, Expedition 35, Commander Hadfield began recording music for a unique album. On the 12th May 2013, he released a music video recorded on the International Space Station – a rendition of David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’. Receiving over 25 million views on YouTube, the video made headlines across the world.
“He (David Bowie) said some very complimentary things about it, that it was the most poignant version of the song ever done, which is something when coming from the person who wrote it. It was amazing to see the result of it and to realise that this bridge of art helping people understand exploration and science was really new.”
Filmed as live in front of a studio audience of 150 people, Pat Kenny in the Round is an hour-long entertainment show, recorded in the Round Room of Dublin’s Mansion House. Pat Kenny’s interview with Commander Chris Hadfield will broadcast on Monday, 18th May at 9pm, exclusively on UTV Ireland.