Bjarni Tryggvason was a superb astronaut – technically brilliant, operationally skilled – and a dear friend. His recent passing leaves a big hole in my heart.
Celebration of a Life Well Lived
Canadian Space Agency
Planetary Defence, Healthcare & the Future of Humanity
I recently participated in an enjoyable interview with Senior Editor Ivan Duran of the Harvard Health Policy Review . Ivan’s questions were wide-ranging. Besides asking me about my experiences in space, he also asked my thoughts on the delivery of remote healthcare, benefits to Earth from investments in space, and planetary protection.
A Soft Landing is always preceded by a Smooth Approach
The Health Beyond report sets forth a vision in which Canada will become the regarded leader in remote healthcare delivery in space and to underserved communities on Earth.
Planning for the Best; Preparing for the Worst
On December 3, David Saint-Jacques will launch with two crewmates from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Russian Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station. David will spend six months aboard the Station as part of the ‘C3’ expedition, Canada’s third long-duration mission. Preparation for an ISS expedition is a significant undertaking requiring the […]
Skills for Success in the Digital Economy
I dropped in last week on an educational workshop being held at the Vancouver office of SAP Canada. 40 Grade 6 to 9 students and their teachers from local schools were engaged in a hands-on project called Living Space. As I moved about their workspace, I noted that the students and teachers were coding tiny […]
Returning Home in Soyuz – a Wild, Wild Ride
A second edition of the book ‘The Farthest Shore: A 21st Century Guide to Space’ has just been published by Apogee Books (a Canadian publisher). http://www.cgpublishing.com/ The original book was a paperback that served as a textbook for the students of International Space University. It covered all aspects of space exploration and development. The new […]
Let’s regain our place as a nation of explorers
I noticed a tweet this morning from my space colleague Natalie Panek stating that the federal government’s Standing Committee on Finance had launched its pre-budget consultations and deliberations in advance of the 2019 federal budget. Natalie encouraged us to make our voices heard by sharing our priorities with the Committee. I was eager to help. […]
Failure: a critical element on the path to success
Several years ago, when I was a novice astronaut, I was asked to participate in a training simulation. The training session lasted about eight hours and involved mission managers, flight controllers and crew. As a participating crewmember, I was stationed in a high-fidelity simulator of the International Space Station in a building at the NASA […]
International Space University’s Space Studies Program: a path to a career in space
Congratulations to Maliyat and TJ for determining that I was in Cork, Ireland earlier this month to participate in International Space University (ISU)’s Space Studies Program (SSP). I’ll put signed photos in the mail for both of you. My visit to Cork was brief but I did have the opportunity to deliver a lecture, adjudicate […]
Adaption to change – in space and on earth
Todd Hirsch and Rob Roach of ATB Financial are co-authors of a new book entitled Spiders in Space: Successfully Adapting to Unwanted Change. What an intriguing title! The book profiles several Canadian individuals, organizations and businesses who have successfully adapted to change. Drawing on inspiring stories and lessons learned, the book provides insight on how […]