Roberta Lynn Bondar
Born on Dec. 4, 1945, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Bondar’s interest in the sciences—outer space in particular—began at an early age. As a child, Bondar displayed a great deal of interest in the sciences, and would “gaze up at the clear night skies of Northern Ontario, and pretend to be Flash Gordon on an asteroid in search of Ming the Merciless,” according to her profile on Science.ca.
She received a bachelor of science in zoology and agriculture from the University of Guelph in 1968, and proceeded to further her scientific knowledge at various post-secondary institutions throughout Ontario.
Roberta Bondar served as one of the prime payload specialists aboard the American space shuttle Discovery, for the first International Microgravity Mission (IML-1) in Jan. 22, 1992. It was this mission that earned Bondar the title of being the first neurologist and female Canadian astronaut in space. The mission lasted eight days, during which Bondar conducted various experiments examining the ways in which materials react when they are handled in space. Bondar’s experiments also investigated how life forms acclimate to zero-gravity conditions, and allowed for the research of new ways of embarking on longer space flights for future astronauts.
On Sept. 4, 1992, Bondar left the Canadian Space Agency in order to better pursue her research. Since then, she has continued to further her already successful career. In 1994, Bondar’s outer space experiences were published in her book, Touching the Earth, through a series of photographs that were taken while she was in orbit. In 2003, she served two terms as chancellor of Trent University, until 2009. Bondar has also been awarded an extensive list of awards, among which are over 22 honorary degrees, as well as induction into Canada’s Medical Hall of Fame.
As an incredibly successful woman who chose to enter into a largely male-dominated profession, Roberta Bondar is living proof that there are no limits. Having achieved so much in her lifetime, it can easily be said that Bondar is a source of great inspiration for young women and girls everywhere to aspire to reach for the stars—whether it be on the ground in the day-to-day life of academia or in outer space.
–Written by Jennifer Albay