Early Life and Education:
* Born: October 20, 1963, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
* Education: Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from McGill University, Master of Applied Science from the University of Toronto
* Pilot Training: Graduated from the Canadian Forces Flight School in 1986
Astronaut Career:
* Selected as a Canadian Space Agency Astronaut: 1992
* First Spaceflight: Mission STS-91 (June 1998) aboard Space Shuttle Discovery
* Second Spaceflight: Mission STS-127 (July 2009) aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, serving as Mission Specialist and Flight Engineer
* Total time in space: 25 days, 11 hours, 1 minute
* First Canadian woman to perform a spacewalk: During the STS-127 mission
Other Notable Achievements:
* First Canadian woman to fly in space: Mission STS-91
* Only Canadian astronaut to have flown on two space missions
* Officer of the Order of Canada: Awarded for her contributions to space exploration
* Member of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society: Recognized for her contributions to geography
Post-Astronaut Career:
* Governor General of Canada: Appointed in 2017
* Resigned as Governor General: In January 2021, amidst allegations of workplace harassment and bullying
Other Interesting Facts:
* Fluent in both English and French
* Passionate about music and plays the piano and flute
* Avid sports enthusiast
* Married to William Gregory, a Canadian diplomat
These are just some of the many facts about Julie Payette. Her life and career demonstrate her incredible achievements in science, engineering, and space exploration, while also raising important questions about leadership and accountability.