Robert THIRSK

CAREER

1976-1983: Completing biomedical engineering research during his years at MIT and McGill he continued studies for his medical degree and was in the family medicine residency programme at the Queens Elizabeth Hospital in Montréal when selected for the Canadian astronaut programme

ASTRONAUT ASSIGNMENTS

1983: (05.12) Selected as one six Canadian astronauts (first group) 

1984: (02.02) Commenced astronaut training; (14.03) assigned as BUp PS for STS-41G; Shuttle PS training; (Oct) BUp PS STS-41G;

1985: CSA Astronaut technical assignments; (19.07) identified as prime for International Microgravity Laboratory (IML) Shuttle mission; IML payload training

1986: (Feb) all assigned PS stood down pending Challenger accident investigation; CSA Astronaut technical assignments

1987: CSA Astronaut technical assignments

1988: CSA Astronaut technical assignments

1989: CSA Astronaut technical assignments

1990: CSA Astronaut technical assignments

1991: CSA Astronaut technical assignments

1992: CSA Astronaut technical assignments

1993: Chief Astronaut of the Canadian Space Agency

1994: Chief Astronaut CSA; (Feb) Crew Commander 7-day CAPSULS space mission simulation , Defence Research and Development, Toronto, Canada; Chief Astronaut CSA; (Sep – Mar 1995) completed a program of specialised training designed to enhance his expertise as a crewmember for An upcoming space mission his included medical practise, research, Russian language training.

1995: Specialist training programme; (Apr) selected as PS for STS078 Life and Microgravity Spacelab mission (LMS); (08.05) named PS STS-78 (LMS) ; Shuttle mission training

1996: Shuttle mission training; (20.06-07.07) flew as PS1, STS-78 Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) (16 days 21 hrs);

1997: (Jun) enrolled in the Sloan Fellows Program at MIT Sloan School of Management to gain advanced and professional expertise in management

1998: At MIT Sloan School of Management (until summer); (Aug) assigned to NASA JSC for Ascan training as a Mission specialist with the NASA Class of 1998 (Group 17) candidates; NASA Ascan training

1999: NASA Ascan training

2000: NASA Ascan training

2001: ISS Capcom; CB technical assignment includes operational issues of ISS Thermal Control System

2002: ISS Capcom

2003: ISS Capcom

2004: Crew Commander 11 day NEEMO-7 undersea space simulation mission, National Undersea Research Center, Key Largo, Florida; Conducted Flight Engineer training for Soyuz at TsPK; (        ) named BUp FE to ESA’s Robert Vittori for the Visiting Crew 8 mission  to ISS; ISS visiting mission training

2005: (Apr) BUp FE Soyuz TMA-6; Capcom and Crew Interface Coordinator at Columbus Control Center, Germany during 10 day mission; (         ) commenced ISS Expedition training

2006: ISS expedition training

2007: ISS expedition training; (16-27.01) Soyuz survival training, Russia; (Aug) preliminary assigned to prime crew of Expedition 20 to ISS; ISS expedition training; (          ) completed Eurocom (European Capcom) training in Germany to support ESA Columbus Control Centre (COL-CC); ISS expedition training

2008: ISS expedition training; (12.02) NASA declared assignment to ISS-20 crew; ISS expedition training; (16-22.06) Soyuz water survival training; (12.11) assignment reconfirmed; ISS expedition training

2009: ISS expedition training; (27.05) launched on TMA-15 to ISS, Expedition 20 IN SPACE

SPACEFLIGHT RECORD