Dr. Roberta Bondar launched aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-42, becoming the first Canadian woman in space and the world’s first neurologist in space.
On January 22, 1992, Dr. Roberta Bondar made history by launching aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-42. This mission marked a monumental occasion as she became not only the first Canadian woman but also the world’s first neurologist to travel into space. Her participation in the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) mission was a groundbreaking moment for women in science and space; it symbolized a significant step for gender equality in traditionally male-dominated fields. Bondar's experiments during the mission covered a wide range of scientific disciplines, underscoring the mission's global scientific collaboration.