Julie Payette is an accomplished astronaut and engineer who has blended her technical expertise with impactful roles in science and public leadership.

Julie Payette is a renowned astronaut, engineer, and science communicator who served as the Governor General of Canada from 2017 to 2021. She trained as a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force and was selected as an astronaut by the Canadian Space Agency in 1996. Payette joined NASA and flew two missions to the International Space Station: STS-96 in 1999 and STS-127 in 2009, logging 611 hours in space. She also served as a liaison officer in Russia, Japan, and Europe, and was CAPCOM at NASA’s Mission Control Center. From 2000 to 2007, she was the Chief Astronaut of the Canadian Space Agency.

After her space career, Payette worked as a science diplomat in Washington, D.C., and in 2013, she was appointed Director of the Montréal Science Centre. She remains active in aerospace research, focusing on solutions to orbital debris. Payette is a trustee of the International Academy of Astronautics and an executive member of the Association of Space Explorers.

Fluent in six languages, Payette has a passion for music and sports. She has sung with the Ottawa Bach Choir, winning a Juno Award in 2020, and now performs with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra choir. She has received numerous honors, including 29 honorary doctorates, and is a Knight of the National Order of Quebec and a Companion of the Order of Canada.