Jump to content

Roberta Bondar: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
AMO124 (talk | contribs)
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox astronaut
{{Infobox astronaut
| name =Roberta Bondar
| name =Roberta Bondar the nicest astronot allive

| image =Roberta Bondar NASA.jpg
| image =Roberta Bondar NASA.jpg
| type =[[National Research Council of Canada|NRC]]/[[Canadian Space Agency|CSA]] Astronaut
| type =[[National Research Council of Canada|NRC]]/[[Canadian Space Agency|CSA]] Astronaut

Revision as of 15:30, 10 January 2012

Roberta Bondar the nicest astronot allive
Born (1945-12-04) December 4, 1945 (age 79)
NationalityCanadian
Occupation(s)Neurologist, Scientist, Educator, Author, Photographer, Astronaut
Space career
NRC/CSA Astronaut
Time in space
8 days, 1 hour, 46 minutes
Selection1983 NRC Group
MissionsSTS-42
Mission insignia

Roberta Bondar, OC, O.Ont, FRCP(C), FRSC (born December 4, 1945) 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 has received many honors including the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario, the NASA Space Medal, over 22 honorary degrees and induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.[1]

Education

Roberta Bondar graduated from Sir James Dunn High School in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and holds a Bachelor of Science in zoology and agriculture from the University of Guelph (1968), an M.Sc in experimental pathology from the University of Western Ontario (1971), a Ph.D in neuroscience from the University of Toronto (1974), an MD from McMaster University (1977). She is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in neurology (1981).[2]

Bondar has certification in sky diving and parachuting.[2] A celebrated landscape photographer, Bondar studied professional nature photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara, California. She began astronaut training in 1984, and in 1992 was designated 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.[2][3]

Post-Astronaut Career

Bondar giving a 2007 presentation on environmentalism

Shortly after her return from space, Dr. Bondar left the Canadian Space Agency.

Subsequently, Bondar led an international team of researchers at NASA for more than a decade, examining data obtained from astronauts on space missions to better understand the mechanisms underlying the body's ability to recover from exposure to space. See for example [4]

She also pursued her interests in photography, with emphasis on natural environments. She is the author of four photo essay books featuring her photography of the Earth, including Passionate Vision (2000), which covered Canada's national parks.[5]

Dr. Bondar has also been a consultant and speaker to diverse organizations, drawing on her expertise as an astronaut, physician, scientific researcher, photographer, author, environment interpreter and team leader. Respected for her expertise and commentary, Bondar has been a guest of television and radio networks throughout the U.S. and Canada. She is featured in the IMAX movie Destiny in Space, and has also co-anchored the Discovery Channel's coverage of space shuttle launches.

Bondar served two terms as the Chancellor of Trent University, from 2003 to 2009.[6]

On June 28, 2011 it was announced that Bondar will receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame and will be inducted on October 1 at Elgin Theatre in Toronto. She will be the first astronaut to receive the honour.[7].

Legacy

In her hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, the Roberta Bondar Park and tent pavilion bear her name as the Ontario government building at 70 Foster Drive. The marina beside the park is also named in her honour.

Bondar has also been honoured with a marker on Sault Ste. Marie's Walk of Fame.

In 1996, the Dr. Roberta Bondar Public School was opened in Ajax, Ontario and Roberta Bondar Public School was opened in Ottawa, Ontario. In 2005, another public school named Roberta Bondar Public School opened in Brampton, Ontario. There are also Dr. Roberta Bondar Elementary School in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and Dr. Roberta Bondar Public School in Maple (Vaughan), Ontario.

References

  1. ^ "Biography". Sault Ste. Marie Public Library. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
  2. ^ a b c "Biography of Roberta Bondar". Canadian Space Agency. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
  3. ^ Spacefacts biography of Roberta Bondar
  4. ^ R. Hughson and R. Bondar, Autonomic nervous system function in space, in Handbook of Clinical Neurology (O. Appenzeller, ed.), Vol. 74 (30): 273‐305, 1999.
  5. ^ Bondar, Roberta (2000), Passionate Vision, Canada: Douglas & McIntyre, p. 176, ISBN 978-1-55365-379-0
  6. ^ "Dr. Roberta Bondar appointed Chancellor of Trent University" (Press release). Trent University. 31 January 2003. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
  7. ^ "Press Release: Canada's Walk of Fame Announces the 2011 Inductees". Canada's Walk of Fame. 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2011-06-28.
Academic offices
Preceded by Chancellor of Trent University
2003-2009
Succeeded by

Template:Persondata