Julie Payette

Julie Payette OC CQ
Payette in 2009
Governor General of Canada Designate
Taking office October 2017
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Justin Trudeau
Succeeding	David Johnston
Personal details
Born	(1963-10-20) October 20, 1963 Montreal, Quebec
Nationality	Canadian
Alma mater	McGill University University of Toronto
Occupation	Astronaut, engineer
CSA astronaut
Time in space	25 days 11 h 57 min
Selection	1992 CSA Group
Missions	STS-96, STS-127
Mission insignia

Julie Payette OC CQ (born October 20, 1963) is a Canadian businesswoman and former astronaut and engineer who is the Governor General Designate of Canada.^[1][2][3] Payette has completed two spaceflights, STS-96 and STS-127, logging more than 25 days in space. She served as chief astronaut for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and has served as capsule communicator at NASA Mission Control Center in Houston.

In July 2013, Payette was named chief operating officer for the Montreal Science Centre, and in April 2014, she was appointed a director of the National Bank of Canada.^[4] On July 13, 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Queen Elizabeth II had approved the appointment of Payette as the next Governor General of Canada, the 29th since Canadian Confederation.^[1][2][5]

Education and early career

Payette was born on October 20, 1963 in Montreal, Quebec^[6] and lived in the Ahuntsic neighbourhood, attending Collège Mont-Saint-Louis and Collège Régina-Assumpta.^{[7] [8]} In 1982 she completed an International Baccalaureate diploma at the United World College of the Atlantic in South Wales, United Kingdom.

For her undergraduate studies, Payette enrolled in McGill University where she completed a Bachelor of Engineering degree in electrical engineering in 1986, after which she completed a Master of Applied Science degree in computer engineering at the University of Toronto in 1990. Her thesis focused on computational linguistics, a field of artificial intelligence.^{[7] [9][10]}

Between 1986 and 1988, Payette worked as a systems engineer for IBM Canada's Science Engineering division. From 1988 to 1990, as a graduate student at the University of Toronto, she was involved in a high-performance computer architecture project and worked as a teaching assistant. At the beginning of 1991, Payette joined the Communications and science department of the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory in Switzerland, for a one-year visiting scientist appointment. When she returned to Canada, in January 1992, she joined the Speech Research Group of Bell-Northern Research in Montreal where she was responsible for a project in telephone speech comprehension using computer voice recognition.^[11]

Canadian Space Agency

Mission specialist Julie Payette

Payette was selected by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) as one of four astronauts from a field of 5,330 applicants in June 1992. After undergoing basic training in Canada, she worked as a technical advisor for the Mobile Servicing System, an advanced robotics system and Canada’s contribution to the International Space Station.^[12] In 1993, Payette established the Human-Computer Interaction Group at the Canadian Astronaut Program and served as a technical specialist on the NATO International Research Study Group on speech processing.

In preparation for a space assignment, Payette obtained her commercial pilot licence and logged 120 hours as a research operator on reduced gravity aircraft. In April 1996, Payette was certified as a one-atmosphere deep sea diving suit operator. Payette obtained her captaincy on the CT-114 Tutor military jet at CFB Moose Jaw in February 1996 and her military instrument rating in 1997. Payette has logged more than 1,300 hours of flight time,^[9] including 600 hours on high performance jet aircraft.

Payette reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996 to begin mission specialist training. After completing one year of training, she was assigned to work on the Mobile Servicing System.^[13] Payette completed the initial astronaut training in April 1998.^[14]

Spaceflight experience

Payette operating the Canadarm in 2009

Payette served as chief astronaut for the Canadian Space Agency from 2000 to 2007. She also worked as capsule communicator at the Mission Control Center in Houston for several years, including the return to flight mission STS-114. She was lead capsule communicator during STS-121.^[9]

STS-96

Payette flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery from May 27 to June 6, 1999, as part of the crew of STS-96. During the mission, the crew performed the first manual docking of the shuttle to the International Space Station, and delivered four tons of logistics and supplies to the station. On Discovery, Payette served as a mission specialist. Her main responsibility was to operate the Canadarm robotic arm from the space station.^[15] The STS-96 mission was accomplished in 153 orbits of the Earth, traveling over six million kilometres (3,700,000 mi) in 9 days, 19 hours and 13 minutes. Payette became the first Canadian to participate in an ISS assembly mission and to board the Space Station.^[12]

STS-127

Payette visited the space station again in 2009 as a mission specialist aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour during mission STS-127 from July 15–31, 2009, and was the flight engineer and lead robotic operator during the mission.^[16] At that time, Robert Thirsk was a member of Expedition 20 on the space station. It marked the first time two Canadians were in space.^[17]

During her second mission, Payette brought a signed sweater of the famed Montreal Canadiens player Maurice Richard, stating she had brought Richard, who was known as "The Rocket", into the rocket to celebrate the hockey team's 100th anniversary.^[18]

Post-CSA

During 2010–2011, she worked at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. and was also a scientific delegate to the United States for the Quebec Government.^{[19] [20][21]} For the next three years, Payette was CEO of the Montreal Science Centre of the Société du Vieux-Port de Montréal.^[22] During that time, she was also a Vice President of the Canada Lands Company. ^[23][24]

Payette has served on boards of directors, at Queen's University, Canada's Own the Podium Olympic program, Montréal Science Centre foundation, Robotique FIRST Québec, Drug Free Kids Canada, the Montreal Bach Festival, the National Bank of Canada, Développement Aéroport Saint-Hubert de Longueuil, and others. She was recently appointed to the International Olympic Committee's Women in Sports Commission.^[21][25] She is a member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec and a fellow of the International Academy of Astronautics. As well, Payette is a member of the Faculty of Engineering Advisory Board of McGill University.^[21]

Governor General

Payette is set to become the 29th Governor General of Canada, as announced on July 13, 2017, by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She will be the fourth woman in this role which, according to Maclean's, is expected to commence in the fall of 2017 after the completion of briefings from the incumbent, David Johnston.^[26] After the announcement was made, Johnston issued a statement congratulating Payette and welcoming "a Canadian of extraordinary achievement, admired by all".^[27]

Personal life

Payette married engineer François Brissette ^[28][29] in the 1990s and her second marriage was to William Flynn whom she divorced in 2015. She has one son.

Payette is fluent in French and English, and can converse in Spanish, German, Italian and Russian. She plays the piano and has sung with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and several others.^[12]

Honours

Several notable Canadians, including Payette (right back), carrying the Olympic flag at the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Vancouver

Honours appearing in the Canadian order of precedence are:

	Officer of the Order of Canada	2010
	Knight of the National Order of Québec	2000
	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal	2012

In 2001, Payette was made a Knight (French: chevalière) of the Ordre de la Pléiade of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

Payette was also inducted into the Academy of Great Montrealers (Scientific category) in 2013, and was named a Commander of the Order of Montreal in 2016.^[30]

Upon her elevation to Governor General, Payette will become the Chancellor and Principal and extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada, Chancellor and extraordinary Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Chancellor and extraordinary Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, and Dame of Justice, Prior, and Chief Officer in Canada of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem. As Commander-in-Chief, she will also be awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration.

She holds 27 honorary doctorates,^[31] NASA's Exceptional Service Medal and was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame.^[25] Among the more notable honorary degrees, she has received:

• In 2005, an honorary doctorate of science (DSc) from the University of Lethbridge.^[32]
• In 2006, an honorary doctorate by the University of Alberta.
• In 2010, an honorary doctorate at the University of British Columbia.^[33]
• In 2010, an honorary doctorate by the Concordia University.^[34]

Payette assisted in the carrying of the Olympic flag in the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.

On September 6, 2011, Payette was honoured with the opening of Julie Payette Public School in Whitby, Ontario.^[35]

In the science-fiction novel The 13th Day of Christmas by Robert Blevins, the main character 'Anna Johnson' was based on Payette. The book is about a first mission to Mars, done jointly by the Canadian Space Agency and NASA. Payette received a copy of the book in paperback.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Julie Payette.

• Julie Payette Public Lecture – YouTube Video
• Julie Payette on Supporting Women in Science – YouTube Video
• CSA profile
• Montreal Science Centre
• Order of Canada citation
• Pre-Recorded Q&A with Julie Payette in NASA's Astronaut Flight Lounge — select "Julie Payette" from the "Astronauts" tab.
• Julie Payette Video produced by Makers: Women Who Make America

Canadian Space Agency
Canadian astronauts	Active Jeremy Hansen David Saint-Jacques Jennifer Sidey Joshua Kutryk Retired Marc Garneau Roberta Bondar Steven MacLean Chris Hadfield Robert Thirsk Bjarni Tryggvason Dafydd Williams Julie Payette Michael McKay Ken Money Other Guy Laliberté (space tourist)
Satellites	Alouette 1 Alouette 2 Anik series BRITE CASSIOPE Hermes ISIS-1 ISIS-2 M3MSat MOST MSAT-1 NEOSSat Nimiq series RADARSAT-1 RADARSAT-2 RADARSAT Constellation (planned) SCISAT-1 Sapphire
Other space technology	Black Brant rocket Canadarm Canadarm2 Dextre
Facilities	John H. Chapman Space Centre David Florida Laboratory Saskatoon CSA Building
Contractors	COM DEV MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA Space Missions/Spar Aerospace) Magellan Aerospace (Bristol Aerospace) Telesat UTIAS-SFL
Related Institutions	Canadian Geospace Monitoring Communications Research Centre Canada Defence Research and Development Canada National Research Council
International Partners	ESA NASA ISRO JAXA SNSB
Other	Bell TV Churchill Rocket Research Range International Space Station Shaw Direct