Fort Smith observatory named for Canada’s first female astronaut
On Friday night, Dr. Roberta Bondar – Canada’s first female astronaut – was shocked when the Thebacha and Wood Buffalo Astronomical Society [TAWBAS] renamed its observatory after her!
The observatory, located in the Fort Smith Star Park, will now officially be called the Dr Roberta Bondar Northern Observatory.
“It’s really nice to be alive [for the renaming],” she said. “It’s a huge honour.”
Mike Couvrette, TAWBAS Chair, says the society chose to honour Bondar because of the important role she has played in the growth of the society.
The roll-off roof observatory, now named after the astronaut, has two telescopes for observing the sky.