Student’s Winning Design Soars to New Heights – Patch unveiled for Canada’s next mission to space
Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Astronaut Chris Hadfield unveiled today the patch design for Canada’s next mission to space. Ms. Cynthia DeWit, a Fine Arts student at Conestoga College in
Kitchener, Ontario, submitted her winning design to a national contest
organized by the CSA. Her design will accompany Col. Hadfield onboard Space
Shuttle Endeavour during Mission STS-100, currently scheduled for April 19,
2001.
Drawing Canadian history
“Ms. DeWit’s design tells the story of this historic mission for Canada.
Canadians will have every reason to be proud when Chris Hadfield delivers
and installs the next-generation Canadarm on the International Space
Station, and becomes the first Canadian to ever walk in space,” commented
the Honourable Brian Tobin, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible
for the Canadian Space Agency.
The patch commemorates Canada’s participation in Mission STS-100, an
assembly flight of the International Space Station. It celebrates the
delivery and installation of the second-generation Canadarm to the Station.
It also highlights Col. Hadfield’s space walk, the first time a Canadian
will step out into the vacuum of space. The Astronaut Wings on the patch
were presented to Col. Hadfield by the Prime Minister of Canada after his
first space mission in 1995. They represent his pride in his country and his
military heritage.
“Ms. DeWit’s mission patch is a visual symbol of our efforts and truly
captures Canada’s achievements in space. It will be my honour to wear it on
my flight suit,” said Col. Hadfield. “The fact that the winner of the
contest is a youth originating from rural Canada much like myself, is an
additional source of pride for me.”
As grand prize winner of the contest, Ms. DeWit will receive a copy of her
original artwork signed by Col. Hadfield; a signed in-flight photo of the
CSA Astronaut wearing her winning patch design; an invitation by Col.
Hadfield to attend the launch of Mission STS-100 at Cape Canaveral, Florida;
as well as a CAN$500 cash prize. Ms. DeWit’s college, Conestoga College,
will see its Coat of Arms flown onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour and will be
presented with a mounted collage of in-flight photos signed by Hadfield.
On October 29, 1999, the CSA invited Canadian Fine Arts post-secondary
students to participate in a nation-wide contest to design the Canadian
patch for International Space Station Assembly Mission STS-100. The patch
design had to reflect the participants’ awareness and understanding of the
Canadian content of this historic mission.
The CSA encourages students to achieve greater scientific literacy and
pursue careers in science and technology. It also supports higher learning
in complimentary areas, such as Fine Arts, as it is an important step in the
development of a well-rounded, highly educated community prepared to meet
the challenges of the 21st century.
Canada’s contribution to the ISS
Canada is one of the international partners working with the United States,
Russia, Japan and 11 nations, members of the European Space Agency, to
construct the largest engineering project ever undertaken, the International
Space Station. Once completed, the Station will cover an area as large as a
football field (108 x 74 metres) and weigh 450 tons. Orbiting at an average
altitude of 400 kilometres, it regularly flies over Canada, is visible to
the naked eye and, since the installation of solar panels by CSA Astronaut
Marc Garneau in December 2000, is the brightest man-made object in the sky.
The Canadian contribution to the International Space Station, the Mobile
Servicing System (MSS), is made up of three elements: a next-generation
Canadarm, the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS); a smaller,
detachable two-armed robot, the Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator (SPDM),
that can be placed on the end of the SSRMS to perform delicate operations;
and the Mobile Remote Servicer Base System, a movable platform for the
robotic arm and the SPDM, which will slide along rails located on the Space
Station’s main structure to transport the arm to various points on the
Station. The MSS is essential to the ISS, as it is needed to continue the
assembly of the space station and to maintain the facility during its
10-year planned life.
Canada is also contributing the Space Vision System that provides
information on the exact location, orientation and motion of a specific
target, allowing astronauts manipulating the SSRMS to handle its payloads
precisely and safely. The Mobile Servicing System Operations Complex, a
Ground Segment located at CSA headquarters in Saint-Hubert, Quebec completes
Canada’s contribution to the ISS and will be used to plan missions, monitor
the health of the robotic arm, and to train astronauts and cosmonauts.
About the CSA
Established in 1989 and situated in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, the Canadian Space
Agency coordinates all aspects of the Canadian Space Program. Through its
Space Knowledge, Applications and Industry Development business line, the
CSA delivers services involving: Earth and the Environment; Space Science;
Human Presence in Space; Satellite Communications; Generic Space
Technologies; Space Qualification Services and Awareness. The Canadian Space
Agency is at the forefront of the development and application of space
knowledge for the benefit of Canadians and humanity.
– 30 –
For more information: For interviews:
Caroline Lavallée
Senior Communications Officer
Canadian Space Agency
Tel.: (450) 926-4370
E-Mail: caroline.lavallee@space.gc.ca
Nicole Gignac
Manager, Sectorial Communications (ISS and DFL)
Canadian Space Agency
Cell: (514) 944-7872
E-Mail: nicole.gignac@space.gc.ca
