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Marc Garneau, astronaut, military officer, engineer (b at Québec City, 23 Feb 1949). Garneau became the first Canadian ASTRONAUT in space during the STS-41G mission of the American space shuttle Challenger, 5-13 October 1984. He attended primary and secondary schools in Québec City and St-Jean, Québec, and university at the Collège Militaire Royale (CMR) in Saint-Jean and the ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE (RMC) of Kingston, Ontario, where he earned a BSc in Engineering Physics in 1970. He then studied in London, England, at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, where he received a PhD in Electrical Engineering. In 1982-83, Garneau attended the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College in Toronto.
As a naval officer with the Canadian Forces, Garneau spent 10 years as a combat systems engineer, during which time he designed a simulator for training officers in the use of missile systems aboard Tribal-class destroyers. He also contributed to the development of an aircraft-towed target system for scoring the accuracy of naval gunnery exercises. He was promoted to the rank of Commander in 1982 and was transferred to Ottawa, where he became an acknowledged authority in the design of electronic warfare equipment and systems.
 Garneau, MarcCanadian Space Agency Astronaut Marc Garneau, mission specialist on Mission STS-97, works the controls for Endeavour's Canadarm, or shuttle remote manipulator system (RMS).
 Space Shuttle EndeavourSpace Shuttle Endeavour, with Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Marc Garneau aboard, lifted off on 30 November 2000 (courtesy NASA).
The First Canadian in Space
Selected in December 1983 as one of Canada's first group of 6 astronauts, Garneau was seconded from the Department of National Defence to begin his training in astronautics. A few months later, he was designated as the payload specialist of the STS-41G mission. He trained with back-up astronaut Robert Thirsk for the mission, which included experiments designed by 5 Canadian researchers. During this mission Garneau tested, for the first time, the space vision system designed to provide eyes to the CANADARM, the robotic arm of the shuttle.
NASA
In 1989, the Parliament of Canada adopted a law creating the CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY (CSA) to co-ordinate all the country's space activities. Garneau left the navy to devote himself entirely to his career as an astronaut. He was deputy director of the Canadian Astronaut Program from 1989 to 1992, and in that capacity provided technical and program support in the preparation of experiments for future Canadian missions.
 Marc Garneay, Canadian Space Agency PresidentMarc Garneau was appointed President of the Canadian Space Agency in 2001 (courtesy Canadian Space Agency).
In July 1992 he was selected for astronaut training with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and reported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for mission specialist training. After a year of rigorous training, he was qualified to command the orbiter, including the Canadarm, which is often used to deploy or recover payloads in orbit. He also trained to perform extra-vehicular activities. While at NASA, Garneau was assigned to CAPCOM duties, becoming the first non-American to communicate with the shuttle crew from Mission Control. A veteran of 2 space flights, the Challenger mission and the STS-77 Endeavour in 1996, Garneau has logged over 437 hours of space flight. During the STS-77 flight, as a mission specialist, he participated in the flight's main experiment, the Commercial Float Zone Furnace, and he retrieved the Spartan satellite from orbit using the Canadarm. He also carried out 3 experiments for Canada's Aquatic Research Facility and 2 experiments designed by Canadian students. Garneau was selected for a third mission, the STS-97, also aboard the Endeavour, scheduled for December 1999, thus participating in the fourth American mission to build the International Space Station (ISS). The mission's purpose was to deliver the first American solar energy, or photovoltaic, module, which involves carrying, and assembling in space, solar panels and batteries. Marc Garneau is an Officer of the ORDER OF CANADA.
Author
FRANÇOISE CÔTÉ
Suggested Reading
Lydia Dotto, Canada in Space (1987) and The Astronauts - Canada's Voyageurs in Space (1993).
Links to Other Sites
Canadian Space Agency
A fascinating website devoted to Canada's far-reaching space program. Check out the latest news about Canadian astronauts, Canadarm and Canadarm 2, recent space missions, and more. Also features "Canadian Space Milestones" and educational resources for students and their teachers.
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