BondarCoin Launch

First… there was The Coin Toss…

A lesson learned and practiced for Super Bowl XXVI aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-42: since a tossed coin would flip and float endlessly through Spacelab, a coin was given to Dr. Roberta Bondar… who held onto the coin… while Commander Grabe, Pilot Oswald, and Mission Specialist Thagard tossed Dr. Bondar in a tight circle!

NOW… there is a Silver Coin to commemorate and celebrate the 25th anniversary of Dr. Bondar’s historic mission in the First International Microgravity Laboratory [IML-1] that became a template for cooperative Life and Physical science investigations aboard the International Space Station [ISS]

Launch Day photos and related memories

Invitation to Bondar Coin launch — The Royal Canadian Mint invitation to the commemorative coin unveiling

Image of Sault college — The Place! Sault College, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario

Multiple angles of the Bondar Coin — View-from-Space 3 views

Image of people around large format Bondar Coin — (L-R) MP Terry Sheehan, Sandra Hanington – President and CEO, Royal Canadian Mint, Dr. Roberta Bondar, Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Christian Provenzano and Oliver Karbonik – Aviation Technology student, Sault College seen during the unveiling of a Royal Canadian Mint commemorative coin named ‘A View of Canada from Space’ Nov. 01, 2016 at the Sault College in Sault Ste. Marie. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kenneth Armstrong

Image of a man at podium — Sault Ste Marie Mayor Christian Provenzano welcomes gathering to the day’s event

Image of a man at podium — Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie Terry Sheehan delivers his greetings

Image of a woman at podium — President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint, Sandra Hanington, describes the soon-to-be-unveilled coin’s commemoration of Dr. Bondar Historic Space Shuttle mission

Image of a man at podium — Third-Year Aviation program student, Oliver Karbonik, introduces Dr. Bondar

Image of a Roberta Bondar at podium — Dr. Roberta Bondar expresses her honour in being coined

Image of audience — Attendees enjoy the moment

Two images of Roberta Bondar receiving her Royal Canadian Mint coin — Sandra Hanington and Dr. Bondar unveil the BondarCoin launch

Image of audience — Audience delight and surprise

Image of Roberta Bondar sitting in crowd — Provenzano, Hanington, Bondar, Karbonik, Sheehan

Image of media filming Roberta Bondar — Media move in!

Image of people around large format Bondar Coin — Beaming RBF Board members Elaine Paterson, Bonnie Patterson, Dr. Bondar

Image of people around large format Bondar Coin — Lisa, Aldona, Arthur Bondar with Roberta

Image of people around large format Bondar Coin — Elaine, Bonnie, Roberta, and Christine Yankou

Image of three people — Noel and Aldene Carter

Image of Roberta Bondar with flowers — Flowers in SJD colours!

Image of three people — Mario and Susan Turco

Image of three people — Susan Chow, Jane Forth

Image of two people — Wendy Beilhartz, former insect research lab pal

Image of two people — Catherine Hugill

Image of four people — Fans

Image of three people — Ardys and John Fleming

Image of people around large format Bondar Coin — Christine Aquino, Terry Sheehan, Dr. Bondar, and Sandra Hanington

Image of people around large format Bondar Coin — Terry Sheehan, MP, with Dr. Bondar

Image of Roberta Bondar beside large format Bondar Coin — Dr. Bondar with Coin

Image of two people — Dr. Lloyd Sippell, insect research laboratory mentor with his protege, Dr. Roberta Bondar

Image of three people — Family friends, Bill and Joan Hall

Image of media filming Roberta Bondar — Media scrum

Image of five people — Joan & Bill Hall, Susan & John Nicolson

Image of Bondar Coin display — Meanwhile… in a display case in the Sault Ste Marie City Hall…

Screenshot of Sault Star front page with article about Bondar Coin — Sault Star Front Page

Multiple angles of the Bondar Coin — BondarCoin 5 views