Robert Thirsk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bob Thirsk
Born	Robert Brent Thirsk (1953-08-17) August 17, 1953 (age 71) New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Space career
NRC/CSA astronaut
Time in space	204 days, 18 hours, 29 minutes
Selection	1983 NRC Group NASA Group 17 (1998)
Missions	STS-78 Soyuz TMA-15 (Expedition 20/21)
Mission insignia

Robert "Bob" Brent Thirsk (born August 17, 1953) is a Canadian engineer, doctor, and former Canadian Space Agency astronaut. He holds the Canadian record for the longest time spent in space, with over 204 days. In 2013, he became an officer of the Order of Canada, a high honour for Canadians.

About Bob Thirsk

Bob Thirsk was born in New Westminster, British Columbia. He is married to Brenda Biasutti and they have three children. When he's not busy with space, Bob enjoys spending time with his family. He also likes flying, hockey, squash, and playing the piano.

Bob is a member of several professional groups. These include engineers, doctors, and space experts. He has received many awards for his work. For example, he won the Gold Medal from the Association of Professional Engineers in Alberta in 1976. He was also the first person to receive a special award from the University of Calgary in 1985.

Bob's Education Journey

Bob Thirsk went to schools in British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Calgary in 1976. He then got another engineering degree from MIT in 1978.

He later decided to study medicine. He earned his medical degree (M.D.) from McGill University in 1982. In 1998, he went back to MIT for a business degree (MBA).

A cool fact about Bob is that he received an honorary doctorate degree while he was in space! This happened on July 8, 2009. His fellow astronaut, Koichi Wakata, even helped put the special graduation cape on him. This made Bob the first person ever to get a university degree from space. In 2019, he received another honorary degree from Carleton University.

Becoming an Astronaut

Bob Thirsk was training to be a family doctor in Montreal when he was chosen to be a Canadian astronaut. This happened in December 1983. He started his astronaut training in February 1984.

He worked as a backup for astronaut Marc Garneau for a space shuttle mission in 1984. Bob also took part in special flights that create a feeling of weightlessness. He worked on projects about space medicine, the International Space Station, and mission planning.

Bob led a team that studied how being weightless affects the heart and blood vessels. His team even designed a special "anti-gravity suit." This suit could help astronauts deal with the effects of long space flights on their bodies.

From 1993 to 1994, Bob was the Chief Astronaut for the Canadian Space Agency. In 1994, he was the leader of the CAPSULS mission. This was a 7-day practice space mission with other Canadian astronauts. He also spent time in Victoria, British Columbia, to improve his medical skills and learn Russian.

Astronaut Robert Thirsk getting ready for the STS-78 mission.

First Space Flight: STS-78

On June 20, 1996, Bob Thirsk flew into space for the first time. He was on the Space Shuttle Columbia for mission STS-78. This mission lasted 17 days. Bob and his six crewmates did 43 experiments. These experiments studied life and materials in space.

Many experiments took place in the Spacelab, a special laboratory inside the shuttle. They looked at how plants, animals, and humans changed in space. They also studied things like proteins and how liquids behave in microgravity (weightlessness).

During this mission, Bob Thirsk wrote two articles for a newspaper. This was the first time an astronaut wrote and sent a story to a newspaper while still in orbit!

Training for the Space Station

In 1998, Bob went to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. He trained to become a mission specialist. This training taught him about space shuttle and space station systems. He also learned about spacewalks (EVA), robotic operations, and more Russian.

Bob also worked as a CapCom (capsule communicator) for the International Space Station (ISS). CapComs are the main link between the ground team at Mission Control and the astronauts in space. They talk directly to the crew and help with planning and solving problems.

In October 2004, Bob was the commander of the NEEMO 7 mission. This mission took place in the Aquarius underwater laboratory. He lived and worked underwater for eleven days. This helped prepare him for living in space.

In 2004, Bob trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia. He became certified to be a flight engineer for the Soyuz spacecraft.

The Soyuz TMA-15 crew: From left to right: Bob Thirsk, Roman Romanenko, Frank De Winne.

Long Stay on the International Space Station

Bob Thirsk was part of the Expedition 21 crew on the International Space Station. He launched on the Soyuz TMA-15 mission on May 27, 2009. He was a flight engineer for the Expedition 20 crew. This made him the first Canadian astronaut to fly on a Soyuz spacecraft.

Bob said about this mission, "It will be the supreme thrill of my life." He studied the long-term effects of weightlessness on his own body. His findings helped scientists learn more about living in space for a long time. He returned to Earth on December 1, 2009.

During his time on the ISS, two other Canadians visited him. These were astronaut Julie Payette and space tourist Guy Laliberté. The meeting between Bob and Julie in July 2009 was the first time two Canadians met in space!

After Space Travel

After his career as an astronaut, Bob Thirsk continued to contribute to science. From 2012 to 2014, he worked for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. This is a Canadian government agency that invests in health research.

In September 2013, a high school in Calgary, Alberta was named after him: Robert Thirsk High School.

On July 1, 2014, Bob Thirsk became the Chancellor of the University of Calgary. In 2021, he visited the UK and gave a speech at Loughborough Grammar School.

Awards and Honours

Bob Thirsk has received many awards for his amazing career. These include: