‘Singing Astronaut’ Chris Hadfield On His Viral Video And Documentary

>>> COMMANDER CHRIS HADFIELD SPENT 2,000 HOURS IN ORBIT
DURING TWO MISSIONS AND AS COMMANDER ON THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION. HE WAS A SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION,
SENNING BACK VIDEOS OF HIM DOING EVERYDAY TASKS LIKE BRUSHING HIS
TEETH, PREPARING FOOD AND GRABBING SOME SHUT-EYE.
>> HE WILL BE KNOWN AS THE SINGING ASTRONAUT AFTER HIS
COVER OF DAVID BOWIE'S "A SPACE ODYSSEY" THAT WENT VIRAL.
>> NOW, HE'S TAKING ON US A CROSS COUNTRY ROAD TRIP IN A
SHOW CALLED "MINIBURST." ONE OF HIS FIRST STOPS, THE
PLANET MARS. >> IT AMAZING ME TO THINK THAT
RIGHT NOW ON EARTH, THERE'S A FEW PEOPLE IN DARKENED ROOMS
THAT ARE OPERATING CONTROLS THAT ARE DRIVING ROBOTS AROUND ON
THAT PLANET, RIGHT NOW. AND THAT MAYBE NOT TOO LONG FROM
NOW, PEOPLE WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO GO ALL THE WAY THERE,
ACTUALLY, IN PERSON. >> GOOD MORNING.
THIS IS SUCH A COOL CONCEPT. IN THE CLIP, WE SAW YOU GAZING
AT MARS OVER THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE.
>> MARS OVER MANHATTAN. >> THAT SOUNDS LIKE A DRINK.
ANYWAY, WHAT ABOUT MARS HAS CAPTURED YOUR ATTENTION?
>> WELL, MARS HAS HEAT. AND MARS HAS WATER.
IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR LIFE, SOMEWHERE BESIDES HERE ON THE
SURFACE OF EARTH, MARS IS MAYBE THE BEST PLACE TO LOOK.
AND PLUS, MARS GLOWS RED IN THE NIGHT SKY.
IT'S UNUSUAL LOOKING. AND IT'S BEEN BECKONING US FOR A
LONG TIME. >> I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GETTING SO
MUCH CLOSER TO GETTING TO GO TO MARS.
>> OH, YEAH. >> WOULD YOU EVER GO?
>> WOULD YOU GO? >> I DON'T KNOW.
I'D BE SCARED. >> SHE DOESN'T LIKE LONG
FLIGHTS. >> THAT'S ACTUALLY THE MAIN
PROBLEM RIGHT NOW. IS IT'S A REALLY LONG FLIGHT.
WITH THE ENGINES WE'VE INVENTED SO FAR, IT TAKES SIX MONTHS TO
GET THERE. >> SIX MONTHS?
>> AND SIX MONTHS TO COME BACK. JUST A YEAR TO GET THERE AND
BACK. THAT'S BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ON
MARS. IT'S ALMOST LIKE SAILING 500
YEARS AGO, WHERE IT TAKES FOREVER TO GET SOMEWHERE.
YOU HAVE TO GO ON PURPOSE. BUT WE'RE GETTING, AS YOU SAY,
BETTER AND BETTER. AND OUR ROBOTS ARE SHOWING US
COOL STUFF. NOT ONLY ON MARS BUT ACROSS THE
SOLAR SYSTEM. >> TALK ABOUT THE PREMISE OF
THIS SHOW. IT'S A 3 BILLION WIDE ROAD TRIP
AND YOU CONDENSE IT TO THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN, BUT DO FOR IT.
IF YOU GET ON THE TIP OF ISLAND AND DRIVE TO THE SANTA MONICA
PIER, ABOUT 3,000 MILES. WHAT IF WE SHRUNK THE 3 BILLION
SOLAR SYSTEM DOWN TO THE SIZE OF THE COUNTRY, WHERE WOULD THE
PLANETS BE? BEFORE YOU LEAVE LONG ISLAND,
YOU'VE GONE PAST EARTH. AND AS YOU SAY, MARS IS OVER
MANHATTAN. MARS IS HERE IN NEW YORK.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT PLANET IS D.C.
AND IT'S AMAZING. YOU START TO GET A REAL SENSE OF
JUST HOW HUGE THIS SOLAR SYSTEM IS.
AND THE ACTUAL DISTANCES AND THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THIS SHOW,
MINIVERSE AND THE CURIOSITY STREAM THAT'S PUTTING IT OUT, IS
LET PEOPLE GET FAMILIAR WITH DISTANCES.
IF YOU PUT IT OVER PLACES THAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT, YOU S START
REALIZE, THAT'S HOW CLOSE THE INNER PLANETS ARE.
AND IT MAKES IT SOMETHING YOU CAN THINK ABOUT EASILY AND NOT
BE SCARED OF. >> I THINK IT'S A GREAT SHOW
BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FASCINATED WITH SPACE.
WERE YOU SURPRISED WITH ALL OF YOUR VIDEOS YOU SENT HOME, HOW
THEY TOOK OFF? ESPECIALLY THE DAVID BOWIE SONG?
>> THE BOWIE THING -- >> YOU WEREN'T GOING TO DO YOUR
SONG? MY SON CONVINCED ME TO DO THAT
SONG. I WAS DELIGHTED WITH THE HUGE
REACTION. HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
THAT HAVE FOLLOWED ALONG AS A RESULT.
BUT THEY UNDERSTAND THE SPACE STATION AND THE R THE REST OF T
UNIVERSE A LITTLE BETTER. IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, IF
YOU CAN'T PUT IT INTO YOUR OWN CONTEXT, IT DOESN'T MAKE MUCH
SENSE TO YOU. BUT IF YOU START THINKING, THE
NEXT TIME I DRIVE DOWN LONG ISLAND OR JUST FROM HERE TO
D.C., THAT'S ABOUT HOW FAR THINGS ARE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN JUPITER AND SATURN
IS. AND THERE'S COOL DISCOVERS GOING
ON OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. TO PUT IT IN A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO
UNDERSTAND IT IS FASCINATING FOR ME.
>> ADULTS AND KIDS. >> IT'S TARGETED TO BOTH.
>> THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE

‘Singing Astronaut’ Chris Hadfield On His Viral Video And Documentary | TODAY

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