Chris Hadfield’s ‘Space Oddity’ cover, shot on the ISS, released to the world | This Day in Space (May 12, 2013)

Ten years ago today, Astronaut Chris Hadfield released a cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” entirely filmed aboard the International Space Station. He released the song the same day he relinquished command of the International Space Station, and he returned to Earth in a Soyuz capsule the following day.

Creativity in space

It’s easy to attempt to separate deeply creative fields like music from the scientific thinking required to send humankind into space. But it is that base level of creativity and curiosity that drives us all to explore what’s possible, inspire others, and reach new heights. The most scientific minds all have their creative outlets, and it is through that creativity that others will learn and be inspired to follow in their footsteps.

Many astronauts make use of their time in space to drive creativity. Recently, especially with the rise of commercial space travel, that has been put on full display. Dr. Sian Proctor, one of the Inspiration4 astronauts, used her trip to space to inspire her artwork and reach a wider audience than may typically follow spaceflight.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield

Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield flew to space on three different missions, first on Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-74, which visited Russia’s Mir space station. Next, he flew on Space Shuttle Endeavour during STS-100, which delivered and installed Canadarm2 on the International Space Station. Finally, he flew to space on December 19, 2012, in a Soyuz capsule as part of ISS Expedition 34/35. He was in space for a total of 166 days. He stood out for the amount of community outreach he did, whether that was playing games invented by the Mythbusters TV show, trying out new food combinations, or simply covering how astronauts do everyday things like sleeping, clipping nails, and brushing teeth in space.

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One of his most iconic videos from space is his cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” The video featured Hadfield on the ISS, playing his guitar and looking out at the blue planet Earth below. The video featured creative shots that can only be done in microgravity and offered viewers a look out the station’s cupola. This song was just the start of his space-recorded music releases, with him later releasing a twelve song album of music recorded in space, concluding with “Space Oddity.”

While the “Space Oddity” music video helped drive its widespread success, it also wasn’t the first song recorded in space. At the start of his final expedition, Chris Hadfield recorded “Jewel in the Night,” and released it on Christmas Eve of 2012, which was the first song recorded in space, over 50 years after the first human spaceflight.

Space Oddity – Music video

As humans continue to explore the cosmos, returning to the Moon and eventually on to Mars, astronauts will continue to have their creative outlets. With movies filmed in space, music, and artists of all types, they will be able to reach out to people all around the world in creative mediums that connect with them, hopefully in the process inspiring them to reach their own goals, whether that be down on Earth, or traveling among the stars.