Canadians in Space For the last three decades Canada has played a very important role in space exploration. Besides developing the robotic arm – Canadarm,and other technologies, Canada has many astronauts in space playing very key roles.

Marc Garneau Garneau was the first Canadia in space, and took part in three flights aboard NASA Space shuttles. He was the president of the Canadian Space Agency from 2001 to 2006, and in 2003 was installed as the ninth Chancellor of Carleton University in Ottawa. He is now in politics

He was Canada's first astronaut and he became the first Canadian in space in October In 1984 he was seconded to the new Canadian Astronaut Program (CAP), one of seven chosen from over 4,000 applicants. He flew on the shuttle Challenger, STS-41-G from October 5 to 13, 1984 as payload specialist. He was promoted to captain in 1986 and left the Navy in 1989 to become deputy director of the CAP. In he underwent further training to become a mission specialist. He has logged almost 678 hours in space and is now retired as an astronaut.

Roberta Bondar First Canadian Woman in space Roberta Bondar, OC, O.Ont, FRCP(C), FRSC (born December 4, 1945, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) is Canada's first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space. Following more than a decade as NASA's head of space medicine, Bondar became a consultant and speaker in the business, scientific and medical communities.

Bondar began astronaut training in 1984, and in 1992 was designated a prime Payload Specialist for the first International Microgravity Laboratory Mission (IML-1). Bondar flew on the NASA Space Shuttle Discovery during Mission STS-42, January 22–30, 1992, during which she performed experiments in the Spacelab. [1][2] Back on Earth, Bondar led an international team of researchers at NASA for more than a decade,examining data obtained from astronauts on 24 space missions to better understand the mechanisms underlying the body's ability to recover from exposure to space.NASASpace Shuttle DiscoverySTS-42 Spacelab [1][2] She is now a professor in medicine at McMaster Univeristy

Julie Payette Payette has completed two spaceflights, STS-96 and STS-127, logging more than 25 days in space. Julie Payette, OC, CQ (born October 20, 1963 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian engineer and a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut.

Payette looks through an overhead window while operating the Canadarm controls on the aft flight deck of Endeavour during STS-127 activitie

Payette was selected by the CSA as one of four astronauts from a field of 5,330 applicants in June After undergoing basic training in Canada, she worked as a technical advisor for the Mobile Servicing System, an advanced robotics system and Canada’s contribution to the International Space Station. [ Payette has logged more than 1,300 hours of flight time, including 450 hours on high performance jet aircraft.

Payette flew on Space Shuttle Discovery from May 27 to June 6, 1999 as part of the crew of STS-96. During the mission, the crew performed the first manual docking of the Shuttle to the International Space Station, and delivered four tons of logistics and supplies to the station. The STS-96 mission was accomplished in 153 orbits of the Earth, traveling over 6 million kilometers in 9 days, 19 hours and 13 minutes. Payette became the first Canadian to participate in an ISS assembly mission and to board the Space Station. [2 Payette visited the space station again in 2009 as a Mission Specialist aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour during mission STS- 127 from July 15–31, 2009 and was the Flight Engineer during the mission. It was the first time two Canadians were in space at the same time.

Christopher Austin "Chris" Hadfield, O.Ont, MSC, CD (born 29 August 1959) is a Canadian astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) who was the first Canadian to walk in space. Hadfield has flown two space shuttle missions, STS-74 in 1995 and STS-100 in He has served as CAPCOM for both Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) expeditions. He is currently training for a long duration stay onboard the ISS, which will include command of Expedition 35 in 2012–13.O.OntMSCCDCanadian Space AgencySTS-74STS-100CAPCOMSpace ShuttleInternational Space Station Expedition 35 He will be the first Canadian to command the ISS. Chris Hadfield

Robert Brent "Bob" Thirsk (born August 17, 1953) is a Canadian engineer and physician, and a former Canadian Space Agency astronaut. He holds the Canadian records for the longest space flight (187 days 20 hours) and the most time spent in space (204 days 18 hours). CanadianengineerphysicianCanadian Space Agency astronaut

Thirsk was a member of the Expedition 21 crew on the International Space Station. Expedition 21

During the ISS 20/21 flight, he was visited by two other Canadians: Julie Payette (Space Shuttle Endeavour STS 127) and space tourist Guy Laliberté on Soyuz TMA- 16 at the end of September The meeting between Thirsk and Payette in July 2009 was the first time two Canadians met in space. [6] He and the Soyuz TMA-15 crew returned to earth December 1, 2009.Julie PayetteSTS 127 space touristGuy LalibertéSoyuz TMA- 16 [6]

Dave Williams Born May 16, 1954, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Dave Williams is married and has two children. Graduated from McGill University, Montral, Quebec, Physiology Department, a Doctorate of Medicine and a Master of Surgery from the Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, (1983).

He had two spaceflights, both of which were Space Shuttle missions. His first spaceflight, STS-90 in 1998, was a 16-day mission aboard Space Shuttle Columbia dedicated to neuroscience research. His second flight, STS-118 in August 2007, was flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station. During that mission he performed three spacewalks, becoming the first Canadian to do so. [4] These spacewalks combined for a total duration of 17 hours and 47 minutes. [spaceflightsSpace ShuttleSTS-90 Columbia neuroscienceSTS-118 EndeavourInternational Space Stationspacewalks [4] [