Chris Hadfield: Space exploration is an example for the world to look up to – iNews

At a time when the world is increasingly isolationist, astronaut Chris Hadfield believes space exploration can demonstrate the importance ofinternational co-operation.

Speaking to i, as the war of words between North Korea and the United States escalates, Commander Hadfield described the International Space Station (ISS) as an undeniable example of what we can do together.

Talking ahead of his BBC series Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?, the 57-year-old Canadian accepted that it was natural for world leaders to have disagreements.

I think that world leaders should be at each others throats because they have national agendas that they have been elected or anointed to defend and its understandable.

It is very much the responsibility of the people in charge to defend the interests of their subjects and there is nothing wrong with that thats normal.

However, for leaders actions to be meaningful, Hadfield believes that they must focus on the longer term.

For world leaders to do anything thats beyond a myopic job or for them to be a good leader they have to gather the knowledge and perspective that is beyond the short term exigencies and demands.

If all youre trying to do is get dinner on the table tonight, then you might make some terrible decisions about what everyone is going to eat tomorrow or next week.

Or if you say the only people in the world that matter are this little pocket of people right here, you might save the lives of that little pocket, but you may horribly affect the lives of so many more people that youre completely unaware of.

Hadfield, who took part in two space shuttle missions and was commander of the International Space Station, outlined the political lessons that can be learned from space exploration.

I think the lessons that come from exploration of our world and beyond is a much improved understanding of that perspective that the world is one shared place.

If you can go round the world in 92 minutes, its very difficult to go back to your tiny little patch of it without a different understanding, without a different perspective, and I think that ability to find a way to set an agenda that is beyond the myopic, beyond the extremely parochial, thats the example that the ISS sets.

Hadfield believes that the ISS can act as inspiration for children and world leaders alike.

Any kid on earth can walk out and if they just wait till the right time, dawn or dusk, and see this thing [the ISS] go over.It is the brightest star in the sky.

It is by no means the answer to everything, but it is a very clear, undeniable example of what we can do together when we do things right.

I think that type of example is a really worthwhile one to have right now, especially for the people who are most at each others throats.

Since its first residents moved in 17 years ago, nationals of 18 different countries have stepped on board the ISS.

The 420,000 kilogram structure is currently inhabited by three Americans, two Russians and an Italian.

More:What it takes to be an astronaut according to Chris Hadfield

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Chris Hadfield: Space exploration is an example for the world to look up to - iNews