Canadarm and Collaboration: How Canada's Astronauts and Space Robots Explore New Worlds - Paperback

by Elizabeth Howell (Author), David Williams (Foreword by)

With interviews from Chris Hadfield and Marc Garneau, the tale of Canada's involvement in international space exploration from the 1960s to the present day

Canada is a small but mighty power in space exploration. After providing the Canadarm robotic arm for the space shuttle in 1981, Canada received an invitation to start an astronaut program -- a program that quickly let its people accumulate skill and prestige. Canadian astronauts have since commanded the International Space Station, flown as co-pilots on spacecraft, and even held senior roles within NASA.

This book traces how Canada grew from small beginnings into a major player in international space policy. You will hear about Canada's space program from the words of its astronauts, from Canadian celebrity Chris Hadfield to Liberal cabinet minister Marc Garneau to Governor General Julie Payette. You will experience the excitement and challenges of reporting on a rocket launch in Kazakhstan, as Canada sent its latest astronaut to space in preparation for possible moon missions in the 2020s. And you will learn from the people who work behind the scenes on Canadian space technology and space policy about why we are doing this -- and what we plan to do next.

Back Jacket

With interviews from Chris Hadfield and Marc Garneau, Canadarm and Collaboration is the tale of Canada's international space exploration involvement from the 1960s to the present day.

"In the distance was the beautiful blue oasis of the planet Earth cast against the black infinite void of space. It was a moment of a lifetime, riding on the end of an icon of Canadian technology, the Canadarm2, with the Canadian flag on my shoulder. I felt immense pride in being able to follow in the footsteps of past Canadian space pioneers on a path to space that would be pursued by the next generation of Canadians in space. There is no question that Canada is a major spacefaring nation. After the spacewalk, one of the crew floated over to share a thought, 'Dave, we in the international program truly understand the space station is just the base for the Canadarm.' The wry humour brought a smile to my face.

"Occasionally Canadians can be understated when examining the contributions Canada has made on the global stage. Yet ours is a story to celebrate. From the Avro Arrow onwards, it is a story of visionary scientific and engineering teamwork, a story of pushing the edge of the envelope by incredibly talented scientists, aerospace engineers, researchers, physicians and astronauts. It is a story that continues to unfold as we set our sights beyond the International Space Station in low Earth orbit to the Moon and ultimately to Mars. It is the story of humans pursuing their destiny as a spacefaring species reaching out to other destinations in our solar system." -- From the foreword by Dave Williams, M.D., OC, LLD, President and CEO of Exploration Incorporated

Elizabeth Howell, Ph.D., is a Canadian journalist focused on space exploration. Her clients include CBC, SpaceQ, and Space.com. She has attended rocket launches in the United States and Kazakhstan, lived on a simulated Mars base, and interviewed dozens of astronauts. She teaches technical writing at Algonquin College and does consulting work for numerous institutions. She lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Author Biography

Elizabeth Howell, PhD, is a staff writer for Space.com. She has been a space journalist for 20 years and is one of the few Canadian journalists to focus exclusively on space. After working for The Globe and Mail, the Canadian Medical Association Journal, CTV Ottawa and the Ottawa Business Journal, Howell struck out as a full-time freelance space journalist in 2012. Before shifting to full-time work at Space.com in 2022, she was a frequent contributor to publications for clients such as CBC, SpaceQ, and Space.com. She has seen rocket launches in the United States and Kazakhstan, lived on a simulated Mars base, and interviewed many astronauts. She also teaches technical writing and does consulting work from Ottawa, ON.