Adam 'meets' his hero Commander Chris Hadfield

One star to another: six-year-old Adam King from Cork chats with astronaut, Commander Chris Hadfield on the Late Late Show

The most famous man in Ireland still hasn't come 'down to earth' — and a chat with one of the world's most famous astronauts only sent his excitement into the stratosphere.

Six-year-old Adam King from Cork wowed the nation on last week's Late Late Toy Show with his uplifting spirit and sense of wonder. 

He's had a hectic week taking congratulations and reliving it all but just had to pop back onto the regular Late Late this week for a special surprise: he 'met' astronaut, Commander Chris Hadfield. 

Ryan Tubridy meets up with Adam King and family

On the Toy Show, Adam had spoken of his ambition to work at NASA's ground control. His passion for space just captivated people and if sheer goodwill could have been converted into rocket fuel he'd have been orbiting the earth in no time. 

Cmdr. Hadfield heard about Adam and got in touch: "There was such a social media response, just to the type of person that he (Adam) is. Immediately it just lit up with 'hey, Commander Hadfield, you have got to meet this kid?' and so I just responded back that I'd love to and comment on the type of person that he is, and I obviously wasn't alone in (thinking) that. It has been really nice to see and have a little more direct contact with Adam and his family."

"We need that sort of combination of both the unstoppable curiosity but also the willingness to put in the work to back it up, it's great to see an example like Adam. "

Adam would love to be a CAPCOM — Capsule Communication, is the astronaut on Earth who communicates with the crew members in their spacecraft.

Cmdr Hadfield said: "Capcom is a fascinating job, you are right in the thick of it, it's like a mystery, solving things constantly ...you have to rely on your own skill and the skill of the people around you. 

"That type of environment, it seems to me that he (Adam) might thrive in. Maybe more importantly now (aged 6) it inspires him right now to pursue things that otherwise he might never have felt the freedom to pursue... and that may be just as important. Sure, he will end up doing something superb with his life... but the process and the inspiration I think is so important and that's part of the reflection that I really like to see also..."

The interview then linked up to Cork to Adam, and Cmdr Hadfield introduced himself.

Cmdr Hadfield tells Adam and the Late Late Show that he dreamed about flying in space when he was Adam's age

Cmdr Hadfield: "I understand Adam that you talk space not just with me but you talk space with your brothers and sisters as well? Where do you go on your space missions, Adam?"

Adam King: "Yea... Sometimes I go to the moon and sometimes I go to some other places, like different planets."

Cmdr Hadfield: "I don't know if you know but I have two brothers and two sisters and when I was your age, we did the exact same thing, we dreamed about flying in space. 

"The cool thing Adam is that when I got older, I got the chance to actually fly in space, three times. It's amazing what can happen in life, and I was a CAPCOM."

Adam: "Were you afraid on your first space mission?"

Cmdr Hadfield: "When I was six years old I was afraid because I didn't know everything that I needed to know yet, but I changed who I was, Adam, I studied and I read books and I watched movies and I talked to people who knew what they were doing, and I practiced, just like you are practicing, over and over again. 

"On the day that I was going to space, I walked up and over the elevator and I lay down in the rocket on my back, even though it was a dangerous thing because I knew what I was doing, I wasn't afraid because I was ready. I'd much rather be ready than afraid, and you have got your whole life to get ready"

Adam King on The Late Late Toy Show. Pic: Andres Poveda Photography

Adam spoke to Ryan Tubridy from his home in Cork with dad, David, and his siblings by his side, and said that he still hadn't come back down to earth since his experience on The Late Late Toy Show.

Of his return to school, Adam said: "We had a big party and they gave me a guard of honour when I just came back"

Asked by Ryan "who is the most famous man in Ireland", Adam laughed and responded "me".