Julie Payette is a Canadian engineer, scientist, and former astronaut. She is best known as the 29th governor-general of Canada from 2017 to 2021. She worked as a systems engineer for IBM in her school days. She has also worked at the NASA Mission Control Center in Houston and the Montreal Science Centre.
Payette has honored with several medals, titles, and degrees including the NASA Space Flight Medal, the Engineers Canada Gold Medal, the title of the National Order of Quebec, McGill University Doctor of Science, etc. She is a faculty member of the Engineering Advisory Board of McGill University.
She is also active in social media sites with over 17.2k followers on her Instagram account: @gjuliepayette.
What is Julie Payette famous for?
- Famous as the first Canadian to join the International Space Station (ISS).
- Famous as the 29th governor-general of Canada from 2017 to 2021.
Where was Julie Payette born?
Julie Payette was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on October 20, 1963. She was born to her father, Andre Payette who was an engineer, and her mother, Jacqueline Payette who worked as a theatre accountant. She has a sister named Maude Payette.
She holds Canadian nationality and belongs to white ethnicity. Her zodiac sign is Libra.
Regarding her education, she attended College Mont-Saint-Louis and then transferred to the College Regina Assumpta. She completed an International Baccalaureate Diploma at the United World College of the Atlantic in South Wales, the United Kingdom in 1982. Later on, Payette received her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from McGill University in 1986. She then enrolled at the University of Toronto and earned a master’s degree in computer engineering in 1990 from there.
Source: @treehugger
Julie Payette Career Highlights
- Julie Payette worked as a systems engineer for the Science engineering division of IBM in Canada when she was in school between 2986 and 1988.
- She worked on a high-performance computer architecture project and also served as a teaching assistant while she was at the University of Toronto.
- In 1991, she was a visiting scientist at the communications and science department of the “IBM Zurich Research Laboratory” in Switzerland.
- She worked on a “Speech Research Group project” under Bell-Northern Research in Montreal in January 1992.
- She was selected at the Canadian Space Agency in June 1992. After a basic training session, she began working as a technical advisor for the agency’s Mobile Servicing System. She worked on a robotic system project that eventually contributed to the International Space Station.
- In 1993, she established the ”Human-Computer Interaction Group” at the International Research Studies Group (RSG-10), and also has worked on a speech recognition project for NATO from 1993 to 1996.
- She has also served the ”Natural Science and Engineering Research Council” (NSERC) of Canada between 1995 and 1998.
- She was drafted to the Canadian Air Force Base in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, at the captain of CT-114 Tutor jet Snowbird, on Which she recorded over 1300 flight hours in February 1996.
- She became a certified one-atmosphere deep-sea diving suit operator in April 1996 and her preliminary astronaut training began at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas from August 1996.
- Payette completed her NASA training in 1998 and became a mission specialist. She was then assigned to a technical project in the robotic wing of the Astronaut Office.
Source: @wikipedia
- In 1999, she became the first Canadian to join the International Space Station (ISS) and work on an assembled project.
- She was chosen for the ”Space Shuttle Discovery” mission from May 27 to June 6, 1999, which was one of the fully operational orbiters of the NASA Space Shuttle Program.
- She served as a chief astronaut of the Canadian Space Agency from 2000 to 2007. Payette also worked as a lead capsule communicator (CAPCOM) on the space shuttle mission STS-121 at the Mission Control Center in Houston.
- In July 2009, she worked as a flight engineer and mission specialist 2, on an ISS mission for the retired orbiter Space Shuttle Endeavour (OV-105).
- Payette was also working at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., USA while serving as a US scientific delegate for the Quebec government between 2010 and 2011.
- She later represented the Department of Economic Development, Innovation, and Export Trade of the Quebec government.
- Payette was the flag bearer in the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. She then served as a director on the board of the Own the Podium Olympic program and of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
- She has also served on the directorial boards of Queen’s University, Canada’s Montreal Science center Foundation, the Montreal Bach Festival, the National Bank of Canada, Robotique FIRST Quebec, Drug-Free Kids Canada, and Developpement Aeroport Saint-Hubert de Longueuil.
- In 2011, she worked as a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, Washington, D.C.
- In 2013, Payette retired from the Canadian Space Agency and she subsequently became the vice president of the Canada Lands Company.
- Payette was also the CEO of the Montreal Science Centre from 2013 to 2016.
- Payette appointed to the International Olympic Committee’s Women in Sports Commission in 2017.
- In July 2017, she was appointed as Canada’s 29th governor-general. She assumed office on October 2 that year.
- On January 21, 2021, she resigned as governor-general after the completion of an independent workplace review of several claims of workplace harassment, as remaining in her post “would risk inflicting serious damage on the office”.She is the second governor-general to have resigned the office, after Romeo LeBlanc who resigned due to health issues.
Julie Payette Awards and Honors
- Julie Payette has received the NASA Space Flight Medal in 1999 and NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 2010.
- She was also awarded the University of Ottawa Distinguished Canadian Leadership Award in 2009 and the Engineers Canada Gold Medal in 2010.
- She was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame in 2010.
- She is an honorary member of the Ordre des ingenieurs du Quebec and the International Academy of Astronautics.
- She has also been honored with the title of the National Order of Quebec (2000), the order of La Pleiade (2001), the Knight of I’Ordre National du Quebec (2002), the Officer of the Order of Canada (2010), the Extraordinary Companion of the order of Canada (2017), the Chancellor and Extraordinary Commander of the Order Military Merit (2017), and the Chancellor, Commander of the Order of Merit for Police Forces (2017) and Dame of Justice of the Order of St Jone (2021).
Source: @ledevoir
Julie Payette Husband
Julie Payette has been married twice in her life. Firstly, she was married to Francois Brissette from 1992 to 1999. She then got married to William Flynn in 2001. The couple blessed with a son named Laurier Payette Flynn in 2003. The couple divorced in 2015.
Julie Payette Height and weight
Julie Payette is a gorgeous lady with a slim body build. She stands at 1.77m (5 feet and 8 inches) tall and her body weighs around 65kg (143 lbs.). She has a pair of beautiful blue eyes and her hair color is Dark Brown. Her sexual orientation is Straight.
Julie Payette Net Worth
Julie Payette has quite good earnings from her professional career as a scientist and astronaut. She has earned a handsome salary of $290000 as the governor-general of Canada. As of 2021, her net worth is estimated to be $5 million.
Leave a Reply