22 Facts About Robert Thirsk

Robert Thirsk holds the Canadian record for the most time spent in space.

Robert Thirsk became an officer of the Order of Canada in 2013 and was named to the Order of British Columbia in 2012.

Robert Thirsk enjoys spending time with his family as well as flying, hockey, squash, and playing the piano.

Robert Thirsk is a member of Professional Engineers Ontario, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute, the Aerospace Medical Association, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and the International Space University.

Robert Thirsk won the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta Gold Medal in 1976 and was the first recipient of the University of Calgary Distinguished Alumni Award.

Robert Thirsk received an honorary doctorate from the University of Calgary while in orbit on July 8,2009.

Fellow ISS crewmember Koichi Wakata placed the convocation cape on Robert Thirsk, which was later removed due to it constantly floating up to his face.

Robert Thirsk was in the family medicine residency program at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Montreal when he was selected in December 1983 by the National Research Council of Canada to join the Canadian astronaut program.

Robert Thirsk began astronaut training in February 1984 and served as backup payload specialist to Marc Garneau for space shuttle mission STS-41-G, which flew October 5 to 13,1984.

Robert Thirsk has participated in several parabolic flight experiment campaigns on board NASA's KC-135 aircraft and has been involved in various projects relating to space medicine, the International Space Station, mission planning, and education with the Canadian Space Agency.

Robert Thirsk led an international research team investigating the effect of weightlessness on the heart and blood vessels.

Robert Thirsk served as Chief Astronaut of the Canadian Space Agency in 1993 and 1994.

On June 20,1996, Robert Thirsk flew aboard space shuttle mission STS-78 as a payload specialist.

In 1998, Robert Thirsk was assigned by the Canadian Space Agency to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to pursue mission specialist training.

In October 2004, Robert Thirsk served as the commander of the NEEMO 7 mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory, living and working underwater for eleven days.

In 2004, Robert Thirsk trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre near Moscow and became certified as a flight engineer for the Soyuz spacecraft.

Robert Thirsk served as backup flight engineer to European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori for the Soyuz TMA-6 taxi mission to the ISS in April 2005.

Robert Thirsk was a member of the Expedition 21 crew on the International Space Station.

Robert Thirsk launched as a flight engineer on the Soyuz TMA-15 Soyuz mission on May 27,2009, as a member of the Expedition 20 crew.

Robert Thirsk was the first Canadian astronaut to fly on a Soyuz.

From August 2012 to February 2014, Robert Thirsk worked for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research as Vice President, Public, Government and Institute Affairs.

Robert Thirsk became Chancellor of the University of Calgary on July 1,2014.