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One of Two Canadian Astronauts Hopes to Spend a Record Time on Space Station

Posted on: Monday, 11 February 2008, 15:00 CST

By Peter Rakobowchuk, THE CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL - Two Canadian astronauts will be visiting the International Space Station next year and one of them is hoping to set a record for the length of time a Canadian has stayed on the giant space laboratory.

Mission specialist Julie Payette will blast off in April 2009 aboard space shuttle Endeavour for a 15-day mission.

It will be the 44-year-old Payette's second trip in space - she was aboard Discovery in 1999.

During the mission, Payette and the space station crew will help install the remaining components of the Kibo laboratory of JAXA, the Japanese space agency.

"It's a very challenging mission with five planned space walks and an extraordinary amount of robotics operations," Payette told reporters Monday. She is not scheduled to perform any space walks.

"This is so important because without those pieces that are missing (from) the construction of the International Space Station we can't fully exploit....as a research laboratory."

Bob Thirsk will make a milestone visit about a month later when he blasts off for the space station aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule on May 25, 2009.

Thirsk will become the first Canadian to remain on the space lab for an extended stay, which is scheduled to last between four and six months.

He says Canada had to collect "credits" before one of its astronauts would be permitted to drop in for more than just a quick visit.

"Canada has accumulated enough what we call 'crew credits' to have an opportunity to fly Canadians, as well as experiments and hardware, on board the station," the 54-year-old astronaut said.

"And in the future after that, we expect perhaps another one or two Canadians to fly on a long duration flight."

Thirsk will also become the first Canadian to hitch a ride to the space station on the Soyuz.

All previous space station visits by Canadians were made aboard an American space shuttle.

Thirsk last took part in a space mission in 1996 when he served as a payload specialist during a 17-day flight on board the space shuttle Columbia.

Columbia disintegrated in the Earth's atmosphere on Feb. 1, 2003, killing all seven astronauts on board.

Industry Minister Jim Prentice, who is also the minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency, noted that over the past 20 years, eight Canadians "have worn the Maple Leaf into space on 13 flights."

"The success of the design and use of the original Canadarm in the space shuttle program led the United States in 1983 to invite Canada to send its own astronauts into space."

Source: Canadian Press

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