When Commander Chris Hadfield released his revised cover of David Bowie’s 1969 classic “Space Oddity” on 12 May 2013, he created a cultural milestone. Recorded near the end of Hadfield’s final mission aboard the International Space Station, the performance quickly became a viral sensation. Guinness World Records recognises it as the first music video filmed in space, while the YouTube upload has attracted more than 56.5 million views. By combining a landmark space mission with one of rock music’s most famous songs, Hadfield transformed Bowie’s fictional journey into an unforgettable performance filmed hundreds of kilometres above Earth. Guinness World Record

The video features remarkable microgravity images of Hadfield floating through the station while playing a Canadian-made Larrivée Parlor acoustic guitar, which had been aboard the ISS since 2001. Hadfield recorded his vocals and guitar in orbit, while musician Emm Gryner created the piano arrangement and producer Joe Corcoran assembled and mixed the backing track on Earth, incorporating ambient sounds recorded aboard the station. Evan Hadfield and Andrew Tidby edited the footage, which includes memorable images of the astronaut looking down at our blue planet through the station’s cupola. The extraordinary resulting performance is captured below.

Beyond this musical achievement, Hadfield’s distinguished career as a fighter pilot, test pilot, astronaut, engineer, author and musician continues to inspire audiences around the world. Following his return to Earth, he remained committed to education and public engagement, encouraging young people to become interested in science, engineering and space exploration. The Music Man community may remember how his photographs, demonstrations and conversations from orbit helped make life aboard the ISS feel more accessible and personal. By combining serious scientific work with warmth and creativity, Hadfield showed that space exploration also has a deeply human side. Canadian Space Agency biography