By Anna Edwards and Jacqui Goddard PUBLISHED: 19:46 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 21:06 EST, 18 May 2013 The astronaut who became an internet sensation after covering one of David Bowie’s most popular songs has received the ultimate accolade – after the singer himself praised it as ‘so beautiful’. Chris Hadfield’s version of Space Oddity – which was recorded 220 miles above Earth on the International Space Station – has racked up 13.3 million hits since it was posted on YouTube a week ago, nearly double the 7.3 million views for Bowie’s original. The Canadian filmed himself singing and  playing guitar as a farewell message to his one million Twitter fans as he prepared to return home last Tuesday after five months in space.
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Singing astronaut Chris Hadfield became a YouTube sensation
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'Possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created,' Bowie said
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Hadfield made millions of fans through social media postings from space
Poignant: @placeholder was thrilled with the acoustic cover of Space Oddity