 Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, right, laughs as Rhys Dunnill-Jones, age 8, makes a face during an autograph session in Calgary on Monday Feb. 8, 2010. Thirsk was in the city to officially receive his honourary degree at the University of Calgary. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougal |
CALGARY - A Canadian astronaut who was granted an honorary degree from the University of Calgary while orbiting in space now has a hard-copy version to the show the world.
Bob Thirsk, who spent six months aboard the International Space Station last year, returned to the university to receive his diploma after it was granted to him in a special ceremony last July. Thirsk says it's great to be back on Earth but he still misses his time in space "flying around like Superman."
He also says he would be a rich man if he had a dollar for every time he went to the window to peer down at Calgary when the space station zoomed overhead.
The astronaut, who returned from orbit Dec 1, will be in Calgary for the next two days to talk to students about his experiences.
Thirsk's mission marked the longest-ever stay in space for a Canadian.