Canada's first female astronaut delivers lecture at USask
Acclaimed neurologist Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada's first female astronaut, spoke as part of the Whelen Lecture and Women in Science Speaker Series about the perspective she gained from her time in space.
During her talk at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) on Tuesday, March 26, Bondar discussed her time as a payload specialist on the Space Shuttle Discovery, when she orbited the Earth 129 times over about eight days in January 1992. She was Canada’s first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space.
“Looking at the Earth from space for me was cementing the reality that we’re on a planet,” she said, according to an article in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “There’s nobody out there that’s going to help us but ourselves.”
Bondar’s talk marks the second time USask students had an opportunity to speak with a Canadian astronaut this year.
David Saint-Jacques spoke to USask students through a live video feed while on board the International Space Station in January. The question and answer session launched the 2019 Cameco Spectrum, an interactive event that showcases innovations in science, technology and engineering.