Chris Hadfield – mackaycartoons

Thursday June 13, 2013

June 13, 2013 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday June 13, 2013

Retirement Options

Canadian Chris Hadfield has announced his retirement and his intention to move back to Canada following a 21-year career as an astronaut — most of it in the U.S.

The newly minted Canadian icon made the announcement at the Canadian Space Agency just outside of Montreal on Monday, fresh off a visit with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa.

The 53-year-old astronaut had called a press conference at the CSA to share highlights from his five-month mission aboard the International Space Station where he dazzled Earth-bound star-gazers with breathtaking pictures, entertaining videos and a constant stream of poetic tweets.
A release from the CSA Monday afternoon said Hadfield’s “resignation is effective as of July 3,” and added that he will use the opportunity to “pursue new professional challenges.” (Source: CBC News)

Meanwhile, Dalton McGuinty has officially resigned as MPP for Ottawa-South, with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne defending his legacy and saying he should not be defined by the gas plant cancellation scandal that sped his exit from politics.

In a statement a day after word emerged of McGuinty’s planned resignation, he thanked his family, friends and colleagues, and said leaving politics came at an “opportune time” with the end of the session in the provincial legislature.

The former premier departs Queen’s Park after nine years on the job and 16 as leader of the Ontario Liberals. He led the Liberals to two majority governments — in 2003 and 2007 — but was left with a minority government after the 2011 election. (Source: CBC News)

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

May 14, 2013 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Chris Hadfield safely returns to Earth

Astronaut Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to command the International Space Station, has safely returned to Earth after almost five months in orbit.

Hadfield, along with flight engineers American Tom Marshburn and Russian Roman Romanenko, returned aboard a Soyuz capsule. They landed under a large parachute in the flat steppes of Kazakhstan at 10:31 p.m. ET.

Hadfield, 53, was the third to emerge from the tight confines of the capsule, assisted by ground crew. Once seated in a reclining chair, Hadfield gave a wave and a thumbs-up. Shortly after, he was seen making a call on a satellite phone to family and friends.

NASA spokesman Josh Byerly said by telephone from the landing site that the three returning astronauts were doing very well.

It was Hadfield’s first return from space in the Russian capsule — during his previous space missions, in 1995 and 2001, he travelled aboard one of the now retired space shuttles.

Earlier Monday, while he was reviewing Soyuz procedures on board the space station, Hadfield tweeted that he wanted “to thank every person at the Cdn Space Agency.”

“Your work takes Canada into orbit. Be proud,” he said.

The trio undocked from the space station shortly after 7 p.m. ET for their journey home. When they were about 12 kilometres from the station, the crew on the Soyuz capsule performed a successful de-orbit burn, slowing the craft down for its descent. (Source: CBC News)