Canadian Astronaut Bob Thirsk Arrives at the International Space Station

Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk has arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) after a two-day trip on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Thirsk will live and work on the ISS for the next six months. Bob Thirsk was one of the first six astronauts chosen for the Canadian space program in 1983 and this is the second space mission for the 55-year old astronaut. He also flew as a payload specialist on the Life and Microgravity Spacelab aboard the Colombia space shuttle in 1996.

While on the ISS, Thirsk will be part of a six-person crew. He will be the crew's medical officer and robotics specialist, perform scientific experiments and also maintain and repair the ISS. During his stay on the ISS, Thirsk will operate the Canadarm 2 to connect a Japanese cargo vessel to the space station. He will also be using a ham radio on board the ISS to control a robot called "Red" at the Canadian Space Agency in Montreal. His experiments with the robot will test remote and navigation technologies developed in Canada.

Photo: Canadian Astronaut Bob Thirsk
NASA Johnson Space Center

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