Biography of Marc Garneau
- Date of birth:
- From: Quebec City, Quebec
- Background: Systems engineer, instructor in naval weapon systems, design authority for naval communications and electronic warfare equipment and systems, Commander and Captain in the Canadian Navy
- Education: Bachelor of science in engineering physics, Ph.D. in electrical engineering
- Languages: French, English, Russian
- Missions: STS-41-G, STS-77, STS-97
A milestone for Canada in space
, marks the 40th anniversary of Marc Garneau's first spaceflight – the first time a Canadian travelled to space! His historic mission paved the way for Canada's proud history of human spaceflight.
Career highlights
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Marc Garneau serves as a combat systems engineer aboard HMCS Algonquin.
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He serves as an instructor in naval weapon systems at the Canadian Forces Fleet School in Halifax, where he designs a simulator for use in training weapons officers.
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Garneau serves as a project engineer in naval weapon systems in Ottawa.
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Marc Garneau returns to Halifax with the Naval Engineering Unit, where he troubleshoots and performs trials on ship-fitted equipment, and helps develop an aircraft-towed target system for the scoring of naval gunnery accuracy.
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He is promoted to Commander while at Staff College in Toronto.
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Garneau is transferred to Ottawa and becomes the design authority for naval communications and electronic warfare equipment and systems.
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Marc Garneau is selected as one of the first six Canadian astronauts. In early , he is seconded to the Canadian Astronaut Program from the Department of National Defence to begin astronaut training.
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Garneau makes history as the first Canadian astronaut to fly in space. He is a payload specialist on Shuttle Mission STS-41-G.
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Garneau is appointed Deputy Director of the Canadian Astronaut Program, providing technical and program support in the preparation of experiments for future Canadian missions.
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Marc Garneau is selected for NASA mission specialist training and reports to the Johnson Space Center for training. He serves as Capsule Communicator (capcom) in Mission Control during Shuttle flights.
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He embarks on his second spaceflight, serving as a mission specialist on STS-77.
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Garneau reprises the role of mission specialist during his third spaceflight, on STS-97. The mission brings his total time in space to over 677 hours.
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In , he is appointed Executive Vice President of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). He subsequently serves as President of the CSA from late to .
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Garneau is elected as Member of Parliament for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount (formerly Westmount–Ville-Marie).
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He serves as Minister of Transport, where he introduces measures like the Passenger Bill of Rights, the Safer Skies Initiative, and the Oceans Protection Plan.
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Marc Garneau serves as Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs from to .
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Garneau retires from political life.
Photos
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Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau conducts an experiment onboard Challenger during Mission STS-41G ( to ). Marc Garneau was the first Canadian astronaut to go to space and he conducted a series of space science, space technology, and space life science experiments called CANEX-1. (Credit: NASA)
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CSA astronaut Marc Garneau performs a status check on the Canadian Aquatic Research Facility (ARF) during his shuttle mission. (Credit: NASA)
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The five STS-97 astronauts visit the three Expedition 1 crewmembers on the International Space Station (ISS) in the Zvezda Service Module. In the front row, left to right, are astronauts Brent Jett, Jr., STS-97 commander; William Shepherd, Expedition 1 mission commander; and Joseph Tanner, STS-97 mission specialist. In the second row are cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, Expedition 1 flight engineer, astronaut Carlos Noriega, STS-97 mission specialist, cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko, Expedition 1 Soyuz commander, and astronaut Michael J. Bloomfield, STS-97 pilot. Behind them is CSA astronaut Marc Garneau, STS-97 mission specialist. (Credit: NASA)
Education
He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics from the Royal Military College of Kingston (), and a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, England ().
Honorary degrees
Université Laval (); Technical University of Nova Scotia (); Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario (); Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean (); University of Ottawa (); University of Lethbridge (); York University (); Concordia University (); McMaster University (); Athabasca University (); British Columbia Institute of Technology ().
Special honours
Athlone Fellowship (); National Research Council Canada Bursary (); Canadian Forces' Decoration (); Officer of the Order of Canada (); NASA Space Flight Medal (, and ); Co-recipient of the F.W. (Casey) Baldwin Award in for the best paper in the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Journal (); NASA Exceptional Service Medal (); Golden Jubilee Medal of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (); Prix Montfort en sciences (); Chancellor of Carleton University (); Companion of the Order of Canada (); Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society ().