Garneau << gahr NOH >>, Marc (1949-…), is a former Canadian astronaut. In 1984, he became the first Canadian to travel in space. Garneau also served as a Liberal member of Canada’s Parliament from 2008 to 2023. He represented ridings (electoral districts) in the province of Quebec. In 1984, Garneau was appointed an Officer, and in 2003, a Companion, of the Order of Canada. Appointment to the order is one of Canada’s highest civilian honors.
Garneau was born in Quebec City, Canada, on Feb. 23, 1949. His father, Andre Garneau, made a career of the Canadian Armed Forces and became a general. Marc Garneau received a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1970, and a doctor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London, England, in 1973. Garneau began a career in the Royal Canadian Navy in 1974. He became a leading authority on naval communications and warfare systems. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1986, before retiring from the navy in 1989.
In 1983, Garneau was selected as one of six Canadian astronauts. He accompanied six American astronauts on a mission aboard the United States space shuttle Challenger from Oct. 5 to 13, 1984. He also made shuttle flights in 1996 and 2000. In 2001, Garneau was appointed executive vice president of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Later that year, he became president of the agency, a post he held until he left the CSA in 2005. Garneau also served as chancellor of Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, from 2003 to 2008.
Garneau was first elected to Canada’s House of Commons in 2008. From 2015 to 2021, he served as Canadian minister of transport. In 2021, he served as minister of foreign affairs. Garneau resigned from Parliament in 2023.
