Canadian astronaut packs new wedding ring in his luggage for space station trip

MONTREAL - So what exactly does an astronaut bring with him on a visit to the International Space Station that could last up to six months?

If you're Chris Hadfield, a newly minted wedding band is at the top of the list.

When he blasts off on Dec. 19, the Canadian astronaut will have the ring as a constant reminder of his wife Helene.

The 53-year-old Hadfield said in an interview from Russia on Wednesday that he and Helene decided he should take something small and light given that space aboard the Soyuz capsule is limited.

"Something that can remind you on a daily basis, something that is both personal and also that is not just a collector's item," he told The Canadian Press.

"We thought about jewelry, earrings and a necklace, but it just seemed to make sense so I'm flying a ring for my wife."

The couple will celebrate its 31st wedding anniversary four days after Hadfield soars into space aboard a Russian spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The veteran astronaut is also taking up a watch belonging to his 26 year-old daughter Kristin.

"On my first flight I flew a watch from my first son, on my second flight I flew a watch from my other son and so on this one, I'm flying a watch for my daughter that she chose," he said.

Hadfield's first space trip was in November 1995 when he visited the Russian Space Station Mir. His second voyage was a visit to the International Space Station in April 2001, when he also performed two space walks.

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Canadian astronaut packs new wedding ring in his luggage for space station trip