Author: Marion Lougheed
From Dr. Robert Thirsk’s mild demeanour, you’d never guess he was an accomplished astronaut. His Zoom background gives it away.
“I see you’re in outer space,” I say.
“You can’t keep me away,” he replies.
Robert was born at Royal Columbian Hospital in Coquitlam. His father worked in sales, so the family moved around a lot. Growing up, Robert lived in Coquitlam, Powell River, North Surrey, and Kelowna. When he was a teenager, the family moved to Calgary.
Robert is one of only two Canadian astronauts from British Columbia, and the only one born in the province. (Bjarni Tryggvason immigrated with his parents from Iceland when he was eight.)
The 1960s and ’70s were exciting decades for him, especially because of how quickly science was advancing. “The first heart transplant was done in the 1960s,” he says, eyes wide, still amazed decades later.
In 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.
“Only eight years later, two people walked on the moon.” Robert recalls that day vividly. “I can remember being in our living room in Kelowna and watching Buzz and Neil hopping about in their white flight suits on the surface of the moon. And then I’d run out to the backyard and look up at the sky and see the moon, and try to reconcile in my mind what was happening with what I was seeing on TV.”
Robert grew up watching Star Trek and devouring stories about astronauts and outer space in National Geographic
and Life. Whenever a new issue came out, he’d run to the library to read about his heroes.
In 1984, he was selected for the Canadian Astronaut Program and moved to Ottawa to begin training. This was the beginning of Canada’s space program. Robert was a member of the first Canadian crew.
“Every day I was passionate about my career in astronautics. Every day when I was driving into work, I couldn’t get there fast enough. I had to make sure I didn’t press the gas pedal too much because I’d end up speeding. But every day was exciting, and every day there was a new adventure.”
He joined International Space Station expeditions and served as Chief Astronaut of the Canadian Space Agency. His family moved to Houston, Texas, which he describes as “the centre of the universe in terms of astronaut training.” He holds the Canadian record for the most time spent in space (204 days, 18 hours, and 29 minutes).
He still feels connected to British Columbia. “Even though I currently reside in eastern Canada, my heart is actually in the west,” he says. “That’s part of who I am.”
He believes people in B.C. “have an adventurous spirit.” He’s noticed this ever since he was a boy.
“I loved studying the American astronauts when I was young, but I also enjoyed learning about the early Canadian explorers: David Thompson, Simon Fraser, Alexander Mackenzie. The early Indigenous peoples. These were people who had the right stuff. They had an exploratory mindset. They were interested in what it’s like across the river, on top of the mountain, or across the continental divide. They had a spirit of curiosity and discovery and a desire to learn more, and I think that is something that’s really unique to B.C.”
After retiring as an astronaut, he took a new position in Ottawa with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. He worked there for a few years before retiring from that role as well.
Retirement hasn’t stopped him from staying active. “I still like to keep involved in space-related work, and it makes strategic sense to be located in Ottawa. You have to be close to the government. You have to be close to the decision-makers to push any new initiative forward.” He speaks regularly at conferences and seminars — university and corporate gatherings, as well as high schools across the country.
He tells young people about the values he believes are necessary to make your way in the world: “Self-care, self-management, teamwork, leadership, followership, cross-cultural skills. And I also love to excite the next generation in their explorations and pursuits. In the same way that I was blessed with the era and the mentors I had when I was young, I wish to be a mentor to the next generation and encourage them in their STEM pursuits as well — science, technology, engineering, and math.”
Talking to young people inspires him. “If you get out there and mix with the next generation and become acquainted with their passion, their enthusiasm, their commitment, their talent, it gives you hope for the next century.”
Healthcare remains an ongoing passion. He uses his astronaut experiences and his university medical training to advocate for better healthcare systems.
“There’s a health gap in Canada. It’s not between rich and poor; it’s between urban and rural, or between urban and remote, or between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. And that’s a travesty. We need to correct that. A lot of the technologies, processes, and innovations we will need to provide healthcare to astronauts who live on the moon or on Mars can also be applied to delivering better healthcare to Northerners, and to empowering the nurses and doctors who work there.”
In space, astronauts’ bodies decondition and deteriorate. “If you’re just floating around the spacecraft and not really stressing your body and your cardiovascular system,” Robert explains, “it’s natural that the body will get rid of muscle mass and bone mineral density that it no longer needs. But of course, astronauts need to return to Earth at the end of the mission. So we need to have strong bodies.”
To that end, they exercise an hour or more every day. Robert continues to follow this routine.
“Even though the last time I flew was over 15 years ago, I still maintain the same physical exercise regimen as I did in space — aerobic exercise, stretching, and resistance exercises as well. And I plan to do that right up to my last moments. Because I want to remain functional.”
Robert advises everyone, especially older people, to stay physically active. “Stress your body every day, physically. Be sensible about it. Don’t overstress it. But I find that a lot of people today are not getting enough exercise. We sit too much. It’s important to get out there and take the body close to its limits.”
He also recommends interacting with others. On his first spaceflight, he and his five crewmates would spend time simply hanging out. He believes this contributed to their collective well-being.
about planet Earth. Photo: Dave Brown / U of Calgary
“We enjoyed being with each other. In the evenings, we would have deep discussions on a number of serious topics, solving the problems of the world from space. And we need to continue to do that in our senior years.”
His suggestions? “Volunteer at schools, get together with friends and go to cultural events in town — theatre, concerts. Visit museums.”
Along with socializing, he emphasizes stimulating our minds. “Get to the library, dive into reading, and stretch your mind. It’s just as important when you’re 68 as when you’re 18.”
One way to stay mentally active is to speak out on issues that concern our society.
“I think we all have an obligation,” he says. “If it’s not through writing op-eds or using social media, we can all write a letter to our MLA, our MP, the prime minister, or the premier. We can write a letter to the editor of our local newspaper. We can get into the local schools and pass on the wisdom we’ve accumulated over decades of life. Of course, we need to vote for the right leaders as well — and join organizations that are aligned with our beliefs.”
He shows me a picture he keeps over his desk. It’s a Venn diagram with two overlapping circles. The one on the left reads, “Things That Matter.” The one on the right says, “Things You Can Control.” The space where they overlap is narrow. He points to this spot.
“It’s not much where the overlap is, but that’s where each of us needs to stop and think about what we can do.”
Robert’s life isn’t all work and social engagement. He enjoys taking his rescue dog, Otto, out for long walks deep in the forest. “We have the good fortune of living on the edge of the Greenbelt here in Ottawa. So we have access to tens of kilometres of deep forest trails, and I get out into the forest every day for an hour. I find that’s a really good time for reflection as well.”
He loves going on cruises with his wife, visiting friends and his three adult children, and skating on Ottawa’s Ri-deau Canal.
One key lesson he’s learned in life is how adaptable humanity is, both collectively and individually. He’s convinced that, with the right group of people, we can accomplish any goal we set for ourselves. He illustrates this with an anecdote from his first trip to space.
“When I arrived aboard the International Space Station, I had to learn to move about — not by walking or running, but by flying around like Superman, using my upper body to pull myself along. I was awkward for the first couple of days in space. I was kicking my legs when I really didn’t need to. It’s not like swimming. It’s a totally different way of getting around when you’re in weightlessness. I might have accidentally kicked a crewmate, or knocked some object off a wall that could have hit a switch or a valve that it shouldn’t have, with my flailing elbows or knees.”
But after a couple of days, he was moving around beautifully, like a fish in water. “It felt like I had been born in weightlessness. I was very, very comfortable. The human body and the human mind are very adaptable. So that’s pretty special.”
Despite his extraordinary experiences, Robert’s happiest moments have been more grounded.
“I can think of a lot of occasions where we’re attending family events, hockey games, ballet recitals — things like that — where we’re just beaming with pride and happiness. “Even though I’ve had a pretty phenomenal career exploring space, the most important role for any human being is to take care of your family, nurture your family, and be there for your family. That’s given me a lot of satisfaction.”
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