Marc Garneau had already been strapped into his seat aboard the space shuttle Challengerfor two hours before hearing the countdown that would make him Canada香蕉视频直播檚 first man in space.
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香蕉视频直播淎m I ready for this?香蕉视频直播� he recalls thinking 40 years ago. 香蕉视频直播淵ou know that this is the beginning of something. All of Canada was looking.香蕉视频直播�
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香蕉视频直播淒id I tell my wife and my children that I loved them?香蕉视频直播�
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香蕉视频直播淓ight-and-a-half minutes of a rock 香蕉视频直播榥香蕉视频直播� roll ride,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淟ife is not a totally safe experience.香蕉视频直播�
Everything changed for Garneau after that Oct. 5, 1984 ascent, from his attitude toward risk to his attitude toward Earth. And Canadians, he said, woke up to a new reality: that their country was not only a participant in the race to space but a pacesetter.
Garneau reflects on that historic day 香蕉视频直播� and his journey from space to politics 香蕉视频直播� in his memoir 香蕉视频直播淎 Most Extraordinary Ride,香蕉视频直播� released Tuesday by Signal, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada.
香蕉视频直播淢ost Canadians knew not very much about the Canadian space program,香蕉视频直播� Garneau, 75, said in a recent interview.香蕉视频直播漈hey were not aware that we were the third country to have a satellite in space.
香蕉视频直播淭hey were really not aware that Canada was a leader. I香蕉视频直播檝e used the last 40 years to point out 香蕉视频直播� we are a space leader.香蕉视频直播�
Garneau has done much more than that, including holding federal cabinet positions in Justin Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 Liberal government before retiring from politics last year. Before he became one of the first six Canadians to enter NASA香蕉视频直播檚 astronaut program, the Quebec City native had earned a doctorate in electrical engineering and had a long career in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Buthe saidnothing compares to the intensity of sitting in the space shuttle香蕉视频直播檚 cabin, uncomfortably vertical, withoutmuch to do except think about the 44 million horsepower under his seat and the great unknown he was about to enter.
香蕉视频直播淭he kinds of things you think about are wide-ranging. I was wondering what was going through (my family香蕉视频直播檚) minds,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檇 trained hard but I knew that all of Canada was looking. Was I going to be able to live up to those expectations and make Canada proud? If I screw this up, this is not going to be a good confidence-builder in NASA for future Canadians.香蕉视频直播�
Not only did he did make Canada proud, he built enough confidence that NASA flew him to space twice more and welcomed aboard other Canucks, including Roberta Bondar and Chris Hadfield.
Like many astronauts, Garneau香蕉视频直播檚 view of the world was changed by the space shuttle香蕉视频直播檚 view of the world 香蕉视频直播� a bright blue marble floating in airless emptiness.
香蕉视频直播淭he first view out the window is seared into my brain,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淥ver the period of my three flights I changed the way I see Earth. I see Earth from a global perspective.香蕉视频直播�
Three hundred kilometres above the planet, circling it every 90 minutes, Garneau watched vast clouds of smoke from a burning Amazon rainforest. He saw plumes of sediment washing into the Mediterranean Sea from spreading deserts. He saw veils of yellow-brown smog over China, California and Lake Erie.
香蕉视频直播淲hen you see that thin atmosphere and realize we香蕉视频直播檙e filling it with greenhouse gases and pollutants 香蕉视频直播hen you see these things, you realize, 香蕉视频直播榃hat are we doing?香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 he said.
香蕉视频直播淚f we don香蕉视频直播檛 take care of this planet, there is nowhere else to go.香蕉视频直播�
Garneau remains proud of Canada香蕉视频直播檚 contributions to space, from the Canadarm robotic arms to the guidance system on the James Webb Space Telescope.
But he warns that technology once dominated by a few countries is now becoming a crowded marketplace. Canada has to keep up, he said.
香蕉视频直播淲e started out gangbusters,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淲e are well respected in the world but guess what, other countries are putting a huge priority on their space programs.香蕉视频直播�
South Korea, for example, now builds not only its own satellites but its own launch vehicles.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 kind of a space race going on now,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 a good thing, because there香蕉视频直播檚 so many good things that can be done in space to serve humans back on Earth.香蕉视频直播�
Garneau said Canada has to stick with the spirit that he found sitting in his astronaut香蕉视频直播檚 chair, waiting to boldly go.
香蕉视频直播淎fter flying in space, life was not as intimidating for me. It gave me a sense of confidence and it gave me confidence to move forward in life instead of playing it safe.香蕉视频直播�
