
Roberta Bondar is best known as Canada’s first woman in space after a 1992 mission on board the shuttle Discovery. However, her accomplishments go far beyond 8 days spent in space! Bondar holds an extensive array of degrees, including the neuroscience and medical degrees that lead to her selection by NASA. After her shuttle flight, Bondar stayed with NASA as their head of space medicine for more than a decade; in that role, she lead an international team in studying data from astronauts returning from missions, striving to better understand how the body recovers from time spent in Space. She also founded a non-profit, The Roberta Bondar Foundation, in 2009; the Foundation is dedicated to "cultivating in all ages a sense of awe, respect and appreciation for other life forms that share our planet....through the fusion of art and science." In 2011, Bondar received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, becoming the first astronaut to receive that honor.