Robert Thirsk is Canada's first Expedition astronaut (Expedition 20/21)
Adventure in space by Bob Thirsk
Bob Thirsk is Canada's first Expedition astronaut, to have lived and worked onboard the International Space Station (ISS) for 6 months. In a series of podcast sequences, he describes the path that led to the assignment of a lifetime and provides a behind the scenes look at the challenges and opportunities of living in the weightless environment of space.
Episode 1 - The desire to explore
Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk shares the moments of his life that inspired him to become an astronaut and pursue his dream to explore.
Episode 2 - Explorer and exploration
As one of Canada's human spaceflight pioneers, Bob Thirsk describes the qualities of Canadian explorers and highlights Canada's rich history in exploration.
Episode 3 - Risks associated with space travel
Astronauts who travel in space depend on complex, fragile technologies while being exposed to hostile external conditions. Bob Thirsk explains the risks associated with his Expedition mission.
Episode 4 - Preparing for a long duration mission in space
Training for a long-duration spaceflight is the most challenging assignment that Bob Thirsk has ever undertaken. As he prepares to leave Earth for a six-month stay aboard the ISS, Bob Thirsk describes the physical, academic, linguistic and cultural awareness training required for a space Expedition astronaut.
Episode 5 - Life aboard the ISS
Bob Thirsk shares details about co-habitation with his Expedition 20/21 colleagues aboard the Space Station, which has living space equivalent to that of a Boeing 747 aircraft. Listen to his thoughts about the day-to day living in an orbiting laboratory.
Episode 6 - Which end is up? - Science on the ISS
Canadian Astronaut Bob Thirsk is a test-subject for the ground-breaking Canadian experiment BISE (Bodies in the Space Environment), which examines how humans determine up from down in weightlessness.
Episode 7 - Optical illusions - Student science on the ISS
Does visual perception change in the weightless environment? The graduate students of the International Space University believe it does, so they have created the IRIS (Image Reversal in Space) experiment for Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk to take part in.