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What is it like to blast off into space? Chris Hadfield breaks it down

Former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield breaks down what might have been going through the mind of David Saint-Jacques, and the sensations the Canadian astronaut might have been feeling as he was launched into space on Monday aboard the Soyuz along with American and Russian colleagues.

'Right up until the last second, until the engine shuts off, the crew is super-focused'

CBC News ·

Astronaut Chris Hadfield explains the Soyuz space launch

6 years ago
Duration 12:10
Chris Hadfield explains what happens when fellow Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques and Russian astronaut Oleg Kononenko and American astronaut Anne McClain are launched into space aboard a Soyuz rocket, en route to the International Space Station.

Watch as Former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield breaks down what might have been going through the mind of David Saint-Jacques, and the sensations the Canadian astronaut might have been feeling as he was launched into space on Monday aboard the Soyuz.

Hadfield says:

  • "To look down and see my wristwatch like magic floating like a little snake around my wrist, it was like a little secret delight … it was also a reminder I wasn't in Kazakhstan anymore."
  • "Underneath that big, official-looking astronaut pressure suit, David's wearing a diaper."
  • "[Launch] is the most dangerous 10 minutes of his entire six months in space."

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