Canadian History for Kids: Marc Garneau the First Canadian Astronaut

March 14, 1984, the Canadian Astronaut Program announced Marc Garneau would be the first Canadian astronaut in outer space. This Canadian History for Kids, Sketches of our Canada, looks at the remarkable career of the first Canadian in Space.

This canadian history for kids article starts with Marc Garneau being born in Quebec City on February 23, 1949. He was educated in Quebec and later studied in London, England. Garneau received his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics from Royal Military College of Kingston in 1970. In 1973 he achieved a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London, England.

He served as Project Engineer in naval weapon systems in Ottawa from 1977 to 1980. Marc continued his education in 1982 when he spent a year at the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College of Toronto, Ontario. In that year he was promoted to commander and took charge of design authority for naval communications and electronic warfare.

He is one of six Canadian astronauts selected in December 1983 by the Canadian Astronaut Program to begin astronaut training. On March 14th, 1984 he was selected from these six to fly as a payload specialist on Shuttle Mission 41-G, October 5-13, 1984.

The mission started October 5, 1984. It was an eight-day mission aboard Space Shuttle Challenger. During 133 orbits of the earth in 3.4 million miles, the crew deployed the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, conducted scientific observations of the earth with the OSTA-3 pallet and Large Format Camera (LFC), performed numerous in-cabin experiments, activated eight “Getaway Special” canisters, and demonstrated potential satellite refuelling with an EVA and associated hydrazine transfer. Mission duration was 197 hours 23 minutes.

Garneau returned to orbit in 1996 and 2000 on Endeavour, becoming the only Canadian to make three journeys to space. In 2000, he used the shuttle’s Canadarm to install the first four solar panels on the International Space Station. In total, he logged 677 hours in space.

Garneau was president of the Canadian Space Agency from 2001 to 2005. In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully for federal office as a Liberal candidate in the rural Quebec riding of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, but won in the downtown Montreal riding of Westmount-Ville-Marie in 2008.

And that’s this week Canadian History for Kids Sketches of Canada!
 

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