Posted: Sun, Sep 5, 2010, 2:44 PM ET (1844 GMT)
A Canadian astronaut will become commander of the International Space Station for the first time in 2013, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency announced Thursday. Chris Hadfield will fly to the ISS on a Soyuz spacecraft in December 2012 and become commander of Expedition 35 in March 2013 after another crew rotation. Hadfield will become the first Canadian astronaut to command an ISS crew and the second Canadian to perform a long-duration space mission, after Robert Thirsk in 2009. Hadfield, who has previously visited the ISS as well as the Russian space station Mir, will spend six months on the ISS on his upcoming mission.

Related Links:

•  Montreal Gazette article
•  Toronto Star article
•  SPACE.com article
•  CTV article
•  CSA press release