Roberta Lynn Bondar is a Canadian astronaut, neurologist, and consultant. Bondar was born on December 4, 1945, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology and agriculture from the University of Guelph in 1968, a Master of Science degree in experimental pathology from the University of Western Ontario in 1971, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in neurobiology from the University of Toronto in 1974.
As one of the first six members of the Canadian Astronaut Corps selected in 1983, Bondar began astronaut training in 1984, and in 1992 she was designated Payload Specialist for the first International Microgravity Laboratory Mission (IML-1). Bondar flew on the NASA Space Shuttle Discovery during Mission STS-42, January 22–30, 1992, during which she performed over 40 experiments in the Spacelab. Her work studying the effects of low-gravity situations on the human body allowed NASA to prepare astronauts for long stays in the space station.
Bondar was the first astronaut to receive a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. It was inducted on October 1, 2011, at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. The Roberta Bondar Park and Tent Pavilion is located in Bondar’s home town (Sault Ste. Marie) in honour of the first female astronaut. Bondar also has multiple public schools named after her.
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