Meritorious Service Cross
- Awarded on: May 23, 2013
- Invested on: June 27, 2013
In March 2013, astronaut Chris Hadfield became the first Canadian to assume command of the International Space Station (ISS). During his 146 days in space, he shared his passion for the arts and science with hundreds of thousands of people around the world via social media. A true standard-bearer for education, he also gave unprecedented access to the ISS and captured the imagination of countless students across Canada by means of live video chats. Through his extraordinary achievements and the record number of experiments conducted aboard the station, Mr. Hadfield promoted the Canadian Space Agency program, bringing great honour to Canada.