Marc Garneau was born on February 23rd, 1949, in Quebec City, Canada. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the Royal Military College of Canada and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London, England. Selected in December 1983 as one of the original six Canadian astronauts, Garneau made history as the first Canadian in space when he flew aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on October 5, 1984, as a payload specialist. He completed two additional spaceflights on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1996 and 2000. After retiring from his astronaut career, Garneau served as President of the Canadian Space Agency and was later elected to the Canadian Parliament, where he held positions including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Transport. Over his lifetime, he was honored with numerous awards such as the Order of Canada and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. Marc Garneau passed away at the age of 76 on June 4th, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of dedication to science, public service, and inspiring Canadians.