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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
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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
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Attendees enjoy the moment
Two images of Roberta Bondar receiving her Royal Canadian Mint coin
Sandra Hanington and Dr. Bondar unveil the BondarCoin launch
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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
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Noel and Aldene Carter
Image of Roberta Bondar with flowers
Flowers in SJD colours!
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Mario and Susan Turco
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Susan Chow, Jane Forth
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Wendy Beilhartz, former insect research lab pal
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Catherine Hugill
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Fans
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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
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Dr. Lloyd Sippell, insect research laboratory mentor with his protege, Dr. Roberta Bondar
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Family friends, Bill and Joan Hall
Image of media filming Roberta Bondar
Media scrum
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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