Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Friday, October 03, 2025

"Fireworks were spitting on the spaceship." Astronaut Chris Hadfield let the words hang as the room sat in darkness. On the twin screens flanking the stage, video from his space missions flickered, holding 250 people at the BMO Centre in Calgary in total silence. What looked like glitter outside the International Space Station was liquid ammonia, the coolant that kept the entire station from overheating. If the leak continued, the $150-billion laboratory would be lost.

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More from the article ...

... In that moment, Hadfield did what leaders must do in crisis: solve the problem.

He split the crew. Two astronauts were sent to check gauges and figure out what was leaking. Two more dug into the ship's data for clues. From the command seat, Hadfield coordinated with Mission Control in Houston.

"You never have enough information," he said. "And sometimes your leadership is at speed."

After piecing the evidence together, they realized the main cooling system was venting into space. If it failed completely, the crew would have to abandon the ship.

They solved the problem, but not with instant answers. What looked like a split-second decision was really the product of decades of training, rehearsal, and competence built long before the crisis, Hadfield said. ...





#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-10-03 12:57 AM | Reply

imo, imo a fascinating article, worthy of reading.

Another excerpt ...

... "You don't need leadership when things are going well. The only reason we need leadership is to deal with stuff going wrong or to try and make change." ...

#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-10-03 12:58 AM | Reply

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