Early success is a terrible teacher. You're essentially being rewarded for a lack of preparation, so when you find yourself in a situation where you must prepare, you can't do it. You don't know how. — Chris Hadfield Copy Share Image
“Wow, that was a really good sleep. I feel great. Hmm, that sounds like someone on the radio; maybe I’m still dreaming. Weird—the guy… — Chris Hadfield Copy Share Image
“Sometimes when people find out I’m an astronaut, they ask, “So what do you do when you’re not flying in space?” — Chris Hadfield Copy Share Image
My optimism and confidence come not from feeling I'm luckier than other mortals, and they sure don't come from visualizing victory. They're the result of a lifetime spent visualizing defeat and figuring out how to prevent it. Like most astronauts, I'm pretty sure that I can deal with what life throws at me because I've thought about what to do… — Chris Hadfield Copy Share
Our training pushes us to develop a new set of instincts: instead of reacting to danger with a fight-or-flight adrenaline rush, we're trained to… — Chris Hadfield Copy Share Image
“That’s how I approach just about everything. I spend my life getting ready to play “Rocket Man.” I picture the most demanding challenge; I visualize what I would need to know how to do to meet it; then I practice until I reach a level of competence where I’m comfortable that I’ll be able to perform. It’s what I’ve always… — Chris Hadfield Copy Share
“Many people object to “wasting money in space” yet have no idea how much is actually spent on space exploration. The CSA’s budget, for instance, is less than the amount Canadians spend on Halloween candy every year, and most of it goes toward things like developing telecommunications satellites and radar systems to provide data for weather and air quality forecasts,… — Chris Hadfield Copy Share
Don't let life randomly kick you into the adult you don't want to become — Chris Hadfield Copy Share Image
The Soyuz craft weighs tons, and you're lying on the floor of it on your back. But the Russians do tell you, remember, before… — Chris Hadfield Copy Share Image
“They have the impression that between launches, we pretty much sit around in a waiting room in Houston trying to catch our breath before… — Chris Hadfield Copy Share Image
It's almost comical that astronauts are stereotyped as daredevils and cowboys. As a rule, we're highly methodical and detail-oriented. Our passion isn't for thrills… — Chris Hadfield Copy Share Image
“If you’re an adrenaline junkie, I understand why you’d find that exciting. But I’m not, and I don’t. To me, the only good reason to take a risk is that there’s a decent possibility of a reward that outweighs the hazard. Exploring the edge of the universe and pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and capability strike me as pretty… — Chris Hadfield Copy Share
I once made myself black out by pulling G too quickly while flying an F-18. Being unconscious in a single-seat airplane is not good.… — Chris Hadfield Copy Share Image
