The Canadian Astronaut Program was established under the management of the National Research Council of Canada in 1983, when the United States invited Canada to fly an astronaut on the space shuttle. This invitation led to the creation of a permanent corps of Canadian astronauts to co-ordinate and conduct Canadian experiments in space.

That same year, in response to the first call for Canadian astronauts, the Canadian Astronaut Program received more than 4000 applications. After a rigorous evaluation period, Roberta Bondar, Marc Garneau, Steve MacLean, Ken Money, Bob Thirsk, and Bjarni Tryggvason were selected based on their exceptional academic backgrounds, professional experience, health, and communication skills.

First team of Canadian astronauts, selected in 1983. Back row, from left to right: Ken Money, Marc Garneau, Steve MacLean and Bjarni Tryggvason. Seated: Robert Thirsk and Roberta Bondar.

In 1989, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) was established as an independent government agency to deal with all Canadian matters relating to space, including space exploration, remote sensing, and satellite communication. The Canadian Astronaut Program was included in this amalgamation.

In 1992, when the Canadian Space Agency announced that it would recruit four more individuals to undergo astronaut training, 5000 interested Canadians applied. After a six-month selection process, Chris Hadfield, Mike McKay, Julie Payette, and Dave Williams were finally chosen.

Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Corps, 1992. Back row, from left to right: Marc Garneau, Chris Hadfield, Bjarni Tryggvason, Steve MacLean. First row, left to right: Mike McKay, Dave Williams, Julie Payette, Robert Thirsk.		Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Corps, 1998. Back row, from left to right: Robert Thirsk, Marc Garneau, Dave Williams, Julie Payette. First row, left to right: Chris Hadfield, Bjarni Tryggvason, Steve MacLean.

In the summer of 1992, Roberta Bondar and Ken Money both left the program to return to their research activities. Mike McKay resigned in early 1995, and Marc Garneau was appointed Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Space Agency on February 1, 2001, and became President on November 22 of the same year. This left  six astronauts eligible for spaceflight.

Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Corps, 2002. Clockwise from top left: Chris Hadfield, Dave Williams, Bjarni Tryggvason, Steve MacLean, Julie Payette and Bob Thirsk.

Since 1984, when Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space, eight Canadians have flown on NASA space shuttles, in 11 separate missions.

Once the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) is complete, the CSA expects to send one astronaut to the station for a three-month period every three years. Combined with Canada’s continued prominence in the international space arena, the ISS promises a number of upcoming spaceflight opportunities for Canadian astronauts.