Chris Hadfield and the Phantom F-4 Ejection Seat from his book The Defector

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield came by for a visit, spied the seat from across the display hall, and made a beeline to it. As a jet fighter pilot, he knew it well, and it features prominently in his latest book, The Defector. It’s literally the first line of the book and the dogfight that ensues.

Mercury Bern is sitting on a complete Mk.7 rocket-assisted ejection seat from the F-4 Phantom II. This two-seat twinjet fighter was one of the most versatile fighters ever built. It boasted top speeds above Mach 2 and became the U.S. Navy’s fastest, highest flying, and longest-range fighter.

An artifact from the Future Ventures’ Space Collection.