Queen’s University graduate and NASA astronaut Drew Feustel came back to earth on Thursday after spending almost 200 days in space.
Feustel and two crewmates touched down in Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz capsule just before 8 a.m.
A viewing party gathered that same morning in a room at Queen’s University, full of students and colleagues cheering for the alumnus’ return.
This was Feustel’s third journey into space — but for this trip, he took over as commander of the International Space Station in June.
Feustel earned his doctorate at Queen’s in geological sciences in the ’90s — he also became a Canadian citizen while in Kingston.
Alexander Braun, a professor in the geological sciences department, was present on Thursday morning for the viewing party. Braun says that Feustel acts as a role model for students at Queen’s, and especially for those in the geological sciences program, engineers and scientists who have to learn how to work together in teams.
“There’s no better teams than the astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station,” said Braun.
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For Catherine Gavaris, a third-year student in geological sciences, Feustel has been an inspiring figure.
“It’s like he was right doing the same classes we are now — the exact same lessons and stuff — he worked hard and he kept to it and now he’s off at NASA.”
Seated among the students was a special guest, and a friend of Feustel’s — The Tragically Hip guitarist Rob Baker, who said he had known the astronaut for years.
“On one of our tours through Texas, Drew got in touch with the band and asked if we’d like to have a tour of the NASA facility and of course we said yes.”
In fact, Feustel is part of a musical band made up of astronauts, who sometimes play homage to Baker and his bandmates.
“Drew told us he plays in a band that played once a month at a bar in Houston doing the greatest hits of the ’50s, the ’60s and The Tragically Hip,” said Baker. “I thought that was pretty awesome.”
Feustel also recently collaborated with another Hip band member, Gord Sinclair, on a song called All Around the World, that was recorded while Feustel was orbiting in space.
WATCH: Canadian astronaut teams up with The Tragically Hip, records music video in space
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