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Canadian Space History - Two Canadians Meet in Space

by albertacowpoke | July 17, 2009 at 01:21 pm

238 views | 69 Recommendations | 15 comments

40 years ago history was made when Neil Armstrong made his first tiny steps on the moon. Today Canada made space history, for the first time two Canadian astronauts met in space.

The space shuttle Endeavour, carrying Julie Payette, docked with the International Space Station at 1:47pm ET with Robert Thirsk aboard. Thirsk has been on the space station since May.

Hatches were opened between the Space station and the shuttle at 3:48 pm ET, after Commander Gennady Padalka rang the bell as part of the official ceremony.

Two Canadian astronauts took part in a historic meeting Friday afternoon, after the space shuttle carrying Julie Payette docked with the International Space Station, the orbiting platform where Robert Thirsk has been stationed since May.

After a two-day chase in orbit, Endeavour docked at the space station at 1:47 p.m. ET.

Hatches between them were opened at 3:48 p.m., and astronauts on either side waved vigorously at each other before station commander Gennady Padalka rang the ship’s bell signalling the Endeavour's arrival as part of a welcome ceremony.

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Amy Judd

at 13:45 on July 17th, 2009

this is just awesome

cyn.khoo

at 14:08 on July 17th, 2009

Yay, Canada! Bob and Julie are AMAZING.

(Full disclosure: I've worked at the CSA =) )

albertacowpoke

at 14:20 on July 17th, 2009

Great Cyndy. I feel your joy. Canada is proud of them as we are of all our astronauts.

patgarcia

at 14:33 on July 17th, 2009

Congratulations!

albertacowpoke

at 14:50 on July 17th, 2009

Thanks for Commenting and Recommending Pat:) Ole

158

at 16:00 on July 17th, 2009

A truly historic moment.

Roy C

at 16:31 on July 17th, 2009

I am happy for you all as well.

albertacowpoke

at 17:46 on July 17th, 2009

Thanks Roy:)

neilabraham

at 21:40 on July 17th, 2009

That's awesome! Congratulations Canada!!!

(And now I want to see that Siberian woman meet that bear again, but in space! Now that would make great television!!!)

albertacowpoke

at 01:27 on July 18th, 2009

Whoo hoo Neil

sara star

at 13:00 on July 18th, 2009

Canada, Siberia its all the same...LOL

In desperation, she punched him in the nose, enough to surprise and scare the bear off.

albertacowpoke

at 13:41 on July 18th, 2009

Best to stay out of the way of desperate Canadian women then lol.

dysamoria

at 07:58 on July 18th, 2009

this is cool, but i'm really desperate to see other nations create reusable vehicles and upgrade that space station before it all rots away with the elderly technology we humans use for space flight. i mean, the shuttles... frighteningly old and were planned to be retired decades ago. how many are left?

i'm fiercely against commercialization of a lot of things, and very anti-USA-capitalism, but i think this is one area where commercialization could be a boon: commercialize human spaceflight. put mines and factories in places that wont kill all the life on earth, like.. say, the moon. etc., pipe dreams...

but seriously... the average person on the street knows nothing and cares nothing for human space flight. sad sad sad. Growth Needed!! i'm all for these little gestures of astronaughts from other nations and the idea of the international space station, but it all seems a bit out of reach and a bit... silly.

congratulations are definitely in order for those women and men who ARE doing these things. i used to dream of it... if i were doing it... maybe my opinion would be different. but maybe i'd still be irritated that there's nothing ... more.

dysamoria

at 07:59 on July 18th, 2009

i recommended this story because i appreciate when people point out news events (or any events) in human spaceflight, despite my somewhat disparaging comments above.