Former astronaut Chris Hadfield owes a lot to David Bowie: the most memorable moment of the astronaut's cosmic career was when he sang Bowie's "Space Oddity" aboard the International Space Station. The accompanying music video, which showcases Hadfield's great singing voice and guitar abilities, has garnered more than 27 million views on YouTube. It even jumpstarted Hadfield's own music career.
Bowie did more than just provide the music and lyrics for Hadfield's video. The famous singer said the "Space Oddity" cover was "possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created." And when YouTube yanked the video over licensing issues, Bowie worked with his publisher to extend the copyright agreement, allowing the video to stay onlineuntil November 2016.
Now, with the news of Bowie's passing this morning, Hadfield posted a touching tribute to the late singer on Twitter.
Ashes to ashes, dust to stardust. Your brilliance inspired us all. Goodbye Starman. pic.twitter.com/FbcxlAzces
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) January 11, 2016
Hadfield and Bowie's connection extends beyond just their singing talents; the two also had some drama surrounding their eyesight. Once during a spacewalk, Hadfield went temporarily blind after a solution in his helmet irritated his eyes. And Bowie is famous for his permanently dilated pupil — the result of being punched in the eye when he was younger.
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