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About the Invention
In June of 1999, Julie Payette contributed to the
building of the International Space Station as a crewmember on board space
shuttle Discovery. The crew of mission STS-96 were only the second visitors
to the space outpost since the beginning of its construction. Launched
relatively empty six months before, the Station had to be outfitted with
supplies and equipment. Just like a brand new building Ð but a building
located in one of the harshest environments known to humankind Ð the Space
Station needed some attention. The radio communication link was faulty,
the electrical system and the batteries were not performing to expectations,
and the newly installed life support system (that circulates air and controls
humidity) was much nosier than desired.
Over the course of ten days, the crew of STS-96 succeeded in delivering
3 tons of equipment to the Station, conducting an 8-hour space walk, repairing
the radio system, replacing faulty battery packs, and installing mufflers
over noisy fans. The work was done in preparation for the arrival of long-term
residents, who inhabited the Station a year and a half later, in October
2000. Canada, Russia, the U.S., Japan, Brazil and 11 other European countries
are building the space station.
During her mission, Julie Payette operated the Canadarm, helped repair
the electrical system, coordinated and supervised the space walk, tended
to the photography and recording equipment, and served on the flight deck
during the return to Earth. On the second last day before returning, she
ejected the Starshine educational satellite into space; the satellite
looks like a discoball: spherical, a half a metre in diameter, covered
by 878 polished circular mirrors, and could be seen from Earth with the
naked eye.
Despite the intensive training that takes place on the ground to prepare
for a space mission, there is one aspect of space travel astronauts cannot
train for and only experience once in orbit: weightlessness. After some
initial "figuring out" (which involved crewmembers bumping into each other),
Julie Payette adapted quickly and learned to enjoy the feeling of floating
freely in space. Despite their busy work schedule, the crew never missed
a chance to take advantage of weightlessness and have some fun: performing
somersaults; eating upside down; sleeping vertically; or simply floating
quietly, without touching anything whatsoever.
Highlights of Julie Payette's 6 million kilometre journey around the Earth
included watching the Earth from above, and working inside the Space station
About the Inventor
An Interview with Julie Payette:
1. As a child, how did you express your interest in flying, and space
travel?
"Like every child, I guess... I talked about it, did projects at school,
read tales of space explorers in youth magazines, watched their exploits
on television... and wished I was one of them."
2. Who were your greatest sources of support?
"Parents first and foremost. Always behind their children, loving them,
supporting them and encouraging them to go beyond their potential. I owe
a lot to my parents. Early on, they kept my feet on the ground and showed
me the power of effort and the importance of humility."
3. Of all of your accomplishments, of which are you the proudest?
"Not sure I can answer such a question. A given step, however small it
may appear to one, may represent a great deal to another. Every hurdle
one surpasses makes one grow. I am just glad I was given the opportunity,
resources, and support to surpass the hurdles that came my way."
4. What is next for you?
"Continue my work as an astronaut and participate in future space missions.
The best job on Earth!!"
5. Of all of your personality traits, or habits which one do you feel
was the greatest contributor to your success?
"Success is a mixture of skills, competence, luck and hard work: with
a bit of effort, I believe the world can be at our feet."
6. Do you have any inspiring comments for women, young women, and children?
"DARE to dream!"
7. Have you invented anything?
"Surely nothing that would warrant a patent application...!"
Julie Payette was born on October 20, 1963 in Montreal, Quebec. As a kid
growing up in Montreal, she dreamt of flying in space. She received her
Bachelor of Engineering from McGill University in 1986, and her Master
of Applied Science (Computer Engineering) from the University of Toronto
in 1990. Along the way she received a slew of awards.
Julie Payette prepared for her first space mission at the Johnson Space
Center in Houston, Texas, working long days, training in flight simulators,
studying Russian, and flying on various aircraft. Today, she is still
training with the NASA astronaut corps, and awaits her next assignment
to space.
Whenever she can find some time in her training schedule, Julie Payette
returns to her homeland and tells young Canadians (and not so young ones)
about how lucky she is to work in space.
Julie brought "Canadiana" into space with her - CDs from Canadian performers,
a Montreal Canadiens hockey team crest, a bottle of Maple Syrup and a
clown nose borrowed from Cirque Du Soleil, a world renowned Montreal based
circus performance troupe. The Canadian maple syrup she brought was an
instant space delight and was enjoyed during breakfast by everyone in
her crew.
She considers her time in space, as an "extraordinary adventure at the
frontier of the known world." Julie believes that humans will continue
to push that frontier, because "exploration is part of our past, our present,
and part of our future." Julie also believes that building the Space Station
is only the beginning, and that astronauts will one day be able to go
even further and visit Mars, using the Moon as a training ground.
Per aspera ad astra
(Through adversity, to the stars)
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