Dr. Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman and the first neurologist to travel to space, celebrates her 80th birthday on Thursday while reflecting on her journey, the future of space exploration and the responsibilities that came with breaking barriers. Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Bondar has spent her life at the intersection of science, medicine, environmentalism and art, holding four degrees and building a career that spans astronautics, neurology, photography and advocacy.
Bondar flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery in January 1992 for an eight-day mission that examined how microgravity affects the human body. Selected in 1983 as part of Canada’s pioneering astronaut corps, she carried the weight of representation as the first Canadian woman in orbit. She recalls the intense pressure to excel, noting that early female pioneers often bore disproportionate scrutiny. Mistakes by women, she said, were sometimes used unfairly to question women’s place in high-stakes fields, whereas errors by men were dismissed as routine. For women, she said, the expectation was not simply to perform well — but exceptionally well.
More than three decades later, women still represent only about 11 per cent of people who have traveled to space, and Canada has sent just two women into orbit since the program began: Bondar in 1992 and Julie Payette in 1999 and 2009. Bondar believes future missions must include people with diverse backgrounds and broad expertise, arguing that different experiences — including those women bring — are essential for meaningful advancement in space exploration.
Although her historic spaceflight remains a defining chapter, Bondar says the most meaningful work of her life has been her medical career and her efforts to influence public health, environmental awareness and mental well-being. Her time in space gave her a powerful platform, one that continues to resonate with younger generations. She recalled visiting a remote Manitoba community, where youth opened up to her not just about space, but about life. They believed her experience gave her both “inner and outer wisdom,” she said — a perspective shaped by looking at Earth from above and seeing the planet, and humanity, with renewed clarity.
Bondar has continued to use that platform through her environmental foundation and her published works. In 2024, she released Space for Birds: Patterns and Parallels of Beauty and Flight, a book inspired by her observations from orbit, where the silence of space made her newly aware of the sounds of nature she grew up with near Lake Superior. Her next book, tentatively titled Deep in Avian Space, will highlight five North American bird species tied to Canada, emphasizing how their presence — or decline — signals the health of ecosystems.
Looking ahead, Bondar is optimistic about the next Canadian woman who may follow her path. She has high hopes for astronaut Jenni Gibbons, currently serving as backup for Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on the Artemis II mission. Hansen is expected to participate in a 10-day journey around the moon as early as February 2026, becoming the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit. Bondar hopes Gibbons will get her own turn within the next five years.
As she marks her milestone birthday, Bondar continues to share advice with younger generations rooted in three values she has carried throughout her life: unwavering curiosity, service to others and always striving to be one’s best. Curiosity fuels awareness, she says; kindness and consideration strengthen communities; and self-driven excellence sets the standard for personal achievement.
At 80, Dr. Bondar remains one of Canada’s most inspiring figures — a pioneer whose accomplishments continue to shape science, environmental awareness and the aspirations of future explorers.