Name: In Conversation with Chris Hadfield
Start: 2025-10-28T19:00:00-04:00
Location: Playhouse Cinema

Join us as we welcome astronaut and author Chris Hadfield back to Hamilton to discuss his new novel, Final Orbit.
Final Orbit is an edge-of-you-seat thriller set about China's secret role in the 1970s Space Race between the US and the USSR. Full of intrigue and real history—including the fascinating story of Professor Tsien Hsue-shen, the “Father of Chinese Rocketry” and founder of China’s space program—Final Orbit accelerates to a thrilling conclusion that captures the beauty and terror of survival 270 miles above Earth, as could only be written by one of the most experienced astronauts alive.
Chris Hadfield is one of the most accomplished astronauts in the world. A veteran of three space flights, Hadfield crewed the US Space Shuttle twice, piloted the Russian Soyuz, helped build space station Mir, conducted two space walks and served as Commander of the International Space Station. He was also NASA’s Director of Operations in Russia.Hadfield’s debut novel, The Apollo Murders, became an instant #1 bestseller in Canada, as did his second, The Defector. His first work of nonfiction, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, his photo book, You Are Here, and his children’s book, The Darkest Dark, also debuted at #1, remaining on the lists for months, and went on to become international bestsellers. Hadfield is the co-creator and host of the BBC series Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes? and helped create and host, along with actor Will Smith, the National Geographic series One Strange Rock. His zero-gravity version of David Bowie's “Space Oddity” has received more than 50 million views, and his TED talk on fear, over 10 million. Hadfield advises SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and other space companies, chairs the board of the Open Lunar Foundation, leads the CDL-Space international tech incubator, and teaches a MasterClass on space operations.
Presented in partnership with Epic Books, Playhouse Cinema, and Random House Canada.