Roberta Bondar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roberta Bondar
CC OOnt FRCPC FRSC
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Bondar in 1991
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| Born | December 4, 1945 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
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| Status | Retired |
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| Occupation |
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| Space career | |
| NRC/CSA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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8 days, 1 hour, 14 minutes |
| Selection | 1983 NRC Group |
| Missions | STS-42 |
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Mission insignia
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neurobiology |
| Thesis | Neurofibrillar and neurofilamentous changes in goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) in relation to temperature (1974) |
| Doctoral advisor | Betty Ida Roots |
Roberta Lynn Bondar (born December 4, 1945) is a Canadian astronaut and brain doctor. She made history as Canada's first female astronaut. She was also the first neurologist (a doctor who studies the brain and nervous system) to travel to space.
After her space journey, Dr. Bondar led a big research team. They worked with NASA to study space medicine. Later, she became a speaker and advisor for science and medical groups.
Roberta Bondar has received many special awards. These include the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario. She also got the NASA Space Flight Medal. She has over 28 honorary degrees from universities. She is in the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Sault Ste. Marie
Roberta Bondar was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, on December 4, 1945. She was the second daughter of Mildred and Edward Bondar. Her parents always encouraged her and her sister to learn and try new things.
Roberta loved science from a young age. When she was seven, her dad built a lab in their basement. There, she did many fun experiments. In elementary school, she won first place for a presentation about waterpower.
Space travel especially captured her imagination. She built models of rockets. Her aunt, who worked at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, sent her posters and badges from the U.S. space program.
School and Sports Achievements
Roberta went to Sir James Dunn Collegiate and Vocational School. She graduated in 1964. She did a science project about the biology of the forest tent caterpillar. This project won a local science fair award. It even went to the Canada-wide science fair in Toronto in 1963. This project also helped her get a summer job. She studied the spruce budworm at a research center.
Bondar was also a great athlete in high school. She was the captain of her basketball team. In 1963, she was named the school's sportswoman of the year. When she graduated in 1964, she received a special award for athletic leadership.
University Studies and Medical Training
Roberta Bondar studied science and medicine at many universities. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from the University of Guelph in 1968. She then got a Masters of Science in experimental pathology from the University of Western Ontario in 1971.
She continued her studies, earning a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in neuroscience from the University of Toronto in 1974. Finally, she received her Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from McMaster University in 1977.
Career as an Astronaut and Scientist
Becoming a Canadian Astronaut
In 1983, Roberta Bondar was chosen as one of the first six members of the Canadian Astronaut Corps. She started her astronaut training in 1984. In 1992, she was named the Payload Specialist for the first International Microgravity Laboratory Mission (IML-1).
Journey to Space on STS-42
Dr. Bondar flew on the NASA Space Shuttle Discovery. This was during Mission STS-42, from January 22 to January 30, 1992. During this mission, she performed over 40 experiments in the Spacelab. Her work helped scientists understand how low gravity affects the human body. This research was very important for preparing astronauts for long stays on the space station.
Research After Space Flight
After her time as an astronaut, Dr. Bondar led a team of researchers at NASA. For more than ten years, they studied data from astronauts. They wanted to understand how the body recovers after being in space. Her research also looked at how space travel might relate to conditions like Parkinson's disease.
Other Interests and Contributions
Dr. Bondar also loves photography, especially taking pictures of nature. She studied professional nature photography. She has written four photo essay books. These books feature her amazing photographs of Earth. Some of her books include Landscape of Dreams and Touching the Earth.
Roberta Bondar is also a certified sky diver, underwater diver, and private pilot. She has been a speaker and advisor for many groups. She shares her knowledge as an astronaut, doctor, scientist, and photographer. She has appeared in interviews on TV and radio. She also played a role in the movie Destiny in Space.
In 2009, Dr. Bondar started The Roberta Bondar Foundation. This is a charity that works to raise awareness about the environment.
Honours and Awards
Roberta Bondar has received many honours and awards from organizations and universities. These include the Vanier Award in 1985.
Canada's Walk of Fame
Dr. Bondar was the first astronaut to receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. This honour was given to her on October 1, 2011, in Toronto.
Tributes in Her Hometown
The Roberta Bondar Park and Tent Pavilion is in her hometown of Sault Ste. Marie. This park is named in her honour. Several public schools are also named after her.
Other Recognitions
Dr. Bondar served as the Chancellor of Trent University from 2003 to 2009. In 2009, Concordia University gave her the special Loyola Medal.
In 2017, the Royal Canadian Mint released a special $25 coin. It was called "A View of Canada from Space." This coin celebrated the 25th anniversary of her space flight. The coin was shown for the first time in her hometown on November 1, 2016.
In 2018, an observatory was renamed The Dr. Roberta Bondar Northern Observatory.
Organizations
| Status | Organization |
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| Fellow | Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada |
| Member | American Academy of Neurology |
| Member | Canadian Neurological Society |
| Member | Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute |
| Member | Canadian Society of Aerospace Medicine |
| Member | College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario |
| Member | Canadian Stroke Society |
| Member | Aerospace Medical Association |
| Member | Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association |
| Member | American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology |
See also
In Spanish: Roberta Bondar para niños
