Julie Payette was born in Montreal, Quebec, October 20, 1963. Payette is an engineer and was chosen as an astronaut in 1992 from a pool of 5330 applicants. She obtained her commercial pilot license, studied Russian, and logged 120 hours on board a reduced gravity aircraft in preparation for her 1999 space mission. Julie Payette was also a pianist and has sung with the Montreal Symphonic Orchestra, the Piacere Vocale in Switzerland, and the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in Toronto. In 2010, Julie was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada and has also received honorary doctorates from the University of Alberta in 2006, and the University of British Columbia in 2010. In 2011 the Julie Payette Public School in Whitby was named in her honor.
Additional information about Julie Payette’s life and accomplishments may be found at the following websites:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Payette
http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/biopayette.asp
