Astronaut candidate's profile
The candidates participating in the astronaut selection process all have unique journeys and outstanding qualities and skills. You can read their remarkable profiles here.
Willoughby, Eleanor
Where were you born?
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Where do you currently live?
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Education
- Bachelor's, physics – University of Toronto
- Master's, geophysics – University of Toronto
- Ph.D., geophysics – University of Toronto
Photo of the astronaut candidate during the aptitude tests. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)
What is your current job?
Marine geophysicist and printmaker - I divide my time between geophysical consulting, making art on scientific themes and communicating science. As a marine geophysicist, I design and build instruments to probe the physical properties of the ocean floor, do marine fieldwork, and gather and interpret data. As an artist, my work explores themes including the history of science, biodiversity, evolution and extinction. My background in science is expressed both in the subjects and in the medium.
Why do you want to become an astronaut?
The privilege of being a marine geophysicist is that I get to be a modern-day explorer. Through the tools I have helped develop, I have been able to increase our knowledge about and visit a still largely unexplored part of our planet. To be an astronaut is to be the ultimate modern-day explorer, with the opportunity to increase our knowledge of our home planet and beyond.