Julie Payette participated in two spaceflights, logging over 25 days in orbit, before her appointment as the 29th Governor General of Canada in 2017. Her professional trajectory spans roles as a research scientist, systems engineer at IBM, and chief astronaut for the Canadian Space Agency, leading to her tenure at the vice-regal office until 2021.
Academic and Technical Foundation
Born in Montreal in 1963, Payette attended Collège Regina Assumpta and UWC Atlantic College. She obtained a Bachelor of Engineering in electrical engineering from McGill University in 1986 and a Master of Applied Science in computer engineering from the University of Toronto in 1990. Her early career included positions at Bell-Northern Research and IBM, where she focused on telephone speech comprehension and high-performance computer architecture.
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Selected as one of four astronauts from 5,330 applicants in 1992, Payette began training at the Johnson Space Center. She served as a technical advisor for the Mobile Servicing System and later as chief astronaut from 2000 to 2007. Her space missions included STS-96 in 1999, where she operated the Canadarm, and STS-127 in 2009. She acted as a capsule communicator for NASA mission control for several years.
Vice-Regal Tenure and Resignation
Following an appointment by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Payette was invested as Governor General on October 2, 2017. Her term ended abruptly on January 21, 2021, following a workplace review initiated by the Privy Council Office. The report indicated that staff at Rideau Hall experienced a verbally abusive environment. She remains the first Governor General to resign due to such findings.
Fast facts
- Born: 1963, Montreal
- Education: McGill University, University of Toronto
- Spaceflights: STS-96, STS-127
- Governor General: 2017-2021
- Languages: French, English, German, Italian
- Honours: Companion of the Order of Canada, Knight of the National Order of Quebec
Questions readers ask
Did Julie Payette resign from the position of Governor General?
Yes, she resigned on January 21, 2021, following the conclusion of a workplace review regarding the office environment.
What engineering roles did she hold before becoming an astronaut?
She worked as a systems engineer at IBM Canada and later joined the Speech Research Group at Bell-Northern Research.
Achievements
- Knight of the National Order of Quebec — 2000
- Affiliated with Canadian Space Agency
- Educated at McGill University, University of Toronto and UWC Atlantic College
- Worked as astronaut, engineer and politician
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