Chris Hadfield to publish book this fall

After extensively sharing his experiences via social media while in space, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is now going the traditional route and publishing his first book this fall.

Random House Canada has announced plans to publish Hadfield's An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth on Oct. 29. It will be the first in a two-book deal.

"Chris has a delightful capacity to bring home the fascinating details of what it takes to be an astronaut and what it's like to live in microgravity, and then to dig deeper into all the surprising training and lessons learned that help himand the whole astronaut corps do the impossible as if it's another day at work," Anne Collins, publisher of the Knopf Random Canada Publishing Group, said in a statement.

"On top of that, he might be the best witness we've ever had to the wonders of space, the fragility and beauty of our planet, and the necessity to keep pushing the envelope of space exploration."

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Hadfield's book will cover his years of training and space exploration "to show how to make the impossible possible," Random House said.

"Through eye-opening, entertaining stories filled with the adrenaline of launch, the mesmerizing wonder of spacewalks, and the measured, calm responses mandated by crises, he explains how conventional wisdom can get in the way of real achievement and happiness."

A space veteran, Hadfield spent five months on the International Space Station earlier this year and was the first Canadian to command it. During his stay, he garnered more than one million Twitter followers and captured the imagination of people around the globe with hisoften-poeticonline updates, breathtaking photography, educational question-and-answer sessions and fun musical performances.

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Hadfield, 53,received a Meritorious Service Medal from Gov. Gen. David Johnstonat the Canadian Space Agency last Thursday.Heofficially retires on Wednesday.