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Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Roberta Bondar

Official portrait of STS-42 Payload Specialist Roberta L. Bondar. CREDIT: NASA.

Roberta Lynn Bondar is a Canadian astronaut, neurologist and consultant. She was born on 4th December 1945 in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada.

The father of Roberta Bondar used to work for the Sault Ste Marie Public Utilities Commission and was of Ukrainian descent. Her mother was an educator of English descent.

Roberta is Canada’s first female astronaut, as well as the first neurologist to travel to space. She quickly and successfully became a consultant after more than a decade of working as the Head of international space medicine research.

This was in collaboration with NASA. Roberta Bondar is also a speaker in the business, scientific and medical communities. Roberta Bondar worked extra hard to prove her capabilities as a woman.

She has received multiple honours which include an appointment as a Companion of the Order of Canada. Other than that, she also received the honours with NASA.

Roberta Bondar has over twenty-eight honorary degrees and many more others. Here are the ten astonishing facts about Roberta Bondar, hope you will enjoy them;

1. Roberta’s Father built her a Laboratory in their Basement at a Tender Age

Roberta Bondar was a determined young girl when growing up. She stated that her dream was always to be a spaceman.

Roberta spent most of her time studying science and conducting multiple experiments. Her father supported the big dream she had by building a laboratory for her in their basement.

With her great determination, the parents ensure that Roberta ensured that she received extensive education. This was one of the ways of grooming her into a great person in the world.

2. Roberta Graduated with over Five Honours from the University

File:UNOOSA 50 Years of Women in Space NHM Vienna 2013 12 Roberta Bondar.

Roberta Bondar was always on her books chasing her dreams. She graduated from Sir James Dunn High school in Sault Ste Marie in Ontario. In 1968, she joined the University of Guelph where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in zoology and agriculture.

In 1971, Roberta Bondar also graduated with a Master’s of science in experimental pathology from the University of Western Ontario. Three years later, Roberta became a Doctor of Philosophy in neuroscience from the University of Toronto.

In 1977, she also got a Doctor of Medicine from McMaster University. She began her undergraduate research at the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Forestry.

3. Roberta Became First Female Canadian Astronaut after Thorough Training

The STS-42 crew portrait including Roberta L. Bondar. Photo Sourced from 

In 1983, Roberta Bondar was selected as one of the first six members of the Canadian Astronaut Corps. She began her Astronaut training in 1984 which was thorough in preparation for her space travels.

In 1992, Roberta was designated as Payload Specialist on a mission for the first International Microgravity Laboratory Mission. Later in the same year, Roberta flew on the NASA Space Shuttle Discovery for her first mission, Mission STS-43.

4. She Conducted over 40 Experiments in her First Space Mission

Roberta Bondar alongside her crew in Space. Courtesy: NASA.

In the period between January 22nd to 30th, Roberta Bondar and her crew on NASA Space Shuttle Discovery were in space. Roberta was given a special mission while in space.

She conducted more than forty experiments while in the Spacelab for eight days. Roberta was working on the effects of low gravity situations on the human body. This happened after NASA allowed and prepared the astronauts for the long stays over in space stations.

5. Roberta Spent Eight Days in Space on Her First Space Tour

After being selected by the Canadian Astronaut Corps, Roberta Bondar and her group were prepared for their first journey in space. It took some years to get the first mission to space after the training.

The first mission of Roberta Bondar to space was with NASA where she was to conduct several experiments. She spent eight days and one hour away in space between January 22 to 30.

This was a huge achievement as she had concluded her research while in the Spacelab.

6. Roberta Holds Over 28 Honorary Doctorates from Canadian and US Universities

Roberta Bondar receives her star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, in 2011.

Education was the priority for Roberta Bondar as she grew up in her home. She graduated from her high school and went ahead to be a success in higher education.

Roberta Bondar garnered more than twenty-eight honorary doctorates from Canadian and the United States universities. Some of her honoraries were in medicine, zoology, agriculture and many other faculties.

7. She Established the Roberta Bondar Foundation

Roberta Bondar did not want her knowledge to be kept to herself, but she wanted to share it with other people. In 2009, Roberta Bondar established the Roberta Bondar Foundation.

The Roberta Bondar Foundation is a non-profit organisation. Their major focus is to educate people on environmental protection through art. Roberta is one of the organisation’s directors.

8. Awards, Tributes and Multiple Schools Named after Roberta Bondar

Ambassador Jacobson and the crew of Space Shuttle Mission STS-127 at Roberta Bondar School in Ottawa.

During her career, Roberta Bondar has received several recognitions in Canada and across the world. Her first honour was the Vanier Award and F.W (Casey) Baldwin Award she received in 1985.

Roberta also received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame as the first astronaut in Canada. This ceremony was conducted on 1st October 2011 at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. In honour of being the first female astronaut, the Roberta Bondar Park and Tent Pavilion were built in her hometown.

Several public schools were named after Roberta Bondar in her honour too.

9. Roberta’s Family never got a Chance to Watch her go to Space from Room in the Assembly Tower

Roberta Bondar in Space. Courtesy: NASA.

During her journey to space with NASA, the families of other astronauts were allowed to the assembly tower to witness the launch at Cape Canaveral Complex in Florida. However, the family of Roberta was not allowed in the tower.

Her mother and sister were in the public gallery during the launch. They were also denied the chance to greet Roberta when she landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Roberta Bondar explained this as she stated that the rules were the astronauts’ families were allowed in if they had a spouse or a dog. Unluckily, Roberta Bondar was not married and had no dog.

10. Roberta has Never Revealed her Personal Life on Marriage

With all the accomplishments that Roberta Bondar has had in her career, there is one major thing she has never revealed. Roberta has never revealed whether she is married nor she has children of her own.

She will always be a great inspiration to young children especially girls who look on her and get the motivation to pursue their dreams.