[LINK] "Astronaut Chris Hadfield announces resignation"

[rfmcdonald]

Thank you, Mr. Hadfield, for everything.

Canadian Chris Hadfield has announced his resignation and his intentions to move back to Canada following a 10-year career and decades of living in the U.S.

The newly minted Canadian icon made the announcement at the Canadian Space Agency just outside of Montreal on Monday, fresh off a visit with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa.

The 53-year-old astronaut shared highlights from his five-month mission aboard the International Space Station where he dazzled Earth-bound star-gazers with breathtaking pictures, entertaining videos and a constant stream of poetic tweets.

The resignation means that Hadfield will finally return to Canadian soil. The astronaut has been living in Houston, Texas since his days as a fighter pilot in the 1980s.

"[I'll be] making good on a promise I made my wife nearly 30 years ago — that yes, eventually, we would be moving back to Canada," Hadfield said.

He said he's ready to pursue private interests, outside the government. Hadfield said he hasn't decided what he will do next, but said he plans to do presentations on space while reflecting over the coming year on his next move.