Meritorious Service Cross
- Awarded on: August 7, 2001
- Invested on: December 05, 2001
Rank: Colonel
On April 22, 2001, mission specialist Chris Hadfield became the first Canadian astronaut to perform an extravehicular activity or spacewalk. During two planned spacewalks, Colonel Hadfield successfully performed the complex yet delicate task of unloading, installing and testing Canadarm 2 under extraordinary conditions some 400 km above the earth. His contributions during his 13-day voyage are the culmination of years of intense training and personal sacrifice. During his first flight in 1995, he flew as the shuttle’s first Canada mission specialist, became the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm in orbit and the only one to ever visit the Russian space station Mir. Colonel Hadfield’s outstanding performance has brought great credit to Canada and honour to the Canadian Forces.
