Looking Forward Expedition 34/35

This crest commemorates Expedition 34/35, Canada’s second long-duration mission on board the International Space Station. The border and living quarters highlighted in red mark the first time that a Canadian will command a spaceship, an honor bestowed on Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Chris Hadfield. The central element portrays the International Space Station—the world’s only space science and research facility supporting long-term studies in the weightless environment of space. Scientific discoveries and technological innovations produced aboard the ISS have applications to both terrestrial science and planetary exploration, represented by the white, silver and red arcs symbolic of the Earth, Moon and Mars. The stars represent Hadfield’s three voyages into space, and his three children. The ring around one of the stars illustrates the recent discovery of hundreds of other stars with planets circling them. The azure pool at the point of the crest signifies water—the fundamental basis for life on Earth and a resource that requires careful management. Bringing attention to the need for fresh water conservation is one of Chris Hadfield’s underlying goals during this mission. The astronaut wings at the top were conferred on Colonel Hadfield by the Prime Minister of Canada in 1995 in recognition of his qualification as Canada's first military pilot astronaut. All these elements are defined by the shape of a guitar pick, symbolic of Chris’s musical interests with an emphasis on science and art, a distinguishing feature of Expedition 34/35. Credit: Canadian Space Agency