Reprinted from inews Now 880AM, By Thomas Dias, 2 July 2011

Have you ever wondered what it would take to become a Canadian astronaut?

Over 400 people arrived at the Alberta Aviation Museum Friday morning to find out.

Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to walk in space, told the crowd you have to do three main things to prove your worth to the Canadian Space Agency.

“Number one, exercise your body a little bit every day and don’t eat bad food all the time; keep your body in shape,” remarked Hadfield. “Number two, go to school and learn things, study, challenge yourself. And number three is to do things beyond school and work and really get out there and try to contribute. Do things and get in a position where your decisions matter.”

Hadfield says the Canadian Space Agency is only interested in people who have gone to university to prove they can learn the hard things. Adding once you do, it’s a beautiful thing to look down at the earth from above.

“To be above the Northern Lights or the Southern Lights and have them pouring and rippling under your feet for thousands of kilometres coming right up at you, it’s hard to believe that it’s our world.”

And when the presentation was over, Hadfield took-off from the City Centre Airport on a Canada Day tour of Edmonton in a vintage F-86 Sabre.