Astronaut Julie Payette returns astrolabe
to Museum of Civilization after trip to space
Gatineau, Quebec, January 19, 2010 — Samuel de Champlain’s astrolabe replica is back at the Canadian Museum of Civilization following a historic voyage to outer space. Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Julie Payette visited the Museum today to return a replica of the famous artifact, and to tell a rapt audience about her latest mission to the International Space Station.
The replica of the astrolabe, a well-known emblem of Canada’s heritage, rode along with Payette when the Space Shuttle Endeavour was launched on July 15, 2009. The successful mission delivered critical supplies to the Space Station and installed a new laboratory platform for scientific experiments.
“Samuel de Champlain’s astrolabe is an important Canadian icon symbolizing the birth of our nation,” said Dr. Victor Rabinovitch, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation. “The Father of New France carried this navigational tool while exploring the vast land we now call Canada. Four centuries later, Julie Payette carried the astrolabe as she explored a very different frontier: outer space.”
Ms. Payette served as Flight Engineer and Mission Specialist representing the Canadian Space Agency. MissionSTS-127 was her second visit to the International Space Station; her first was in 1999.
“When the opportunity arose to bring an iconic Canadian object to space, the astrolabe’s historical and symbolic significance made it an obvious choice,” said Ms. Payette.
Champlain used his bronze astrolabe to measure the angle between the horizon and the sun or the pole star. Then, by consulting an astronomical table, he could estimate his latitude. The explorer is believed to have dropped the tool in 1613, while portaging around the rapids of the Ottawa River near Cobden, Ont. A farm boy found it in 1867, the year of Confederation, but it wound up in American hands. The astrolabe was returned to Canada in 1989.
The original astrolabe, measuring 19 x 14.5 x 3.1 cm, was too large to be carried aboard the Space Shuttle, so experts at the Museum of Civilization crafted a smaller but otherwise exact replica. Made of brass, it is a fully functioning, perfectly calibrated reproduction that matches the genuine artifact in every way but size.
Ms. Payette visited the Museum of Civilization today to return the replica, and to share her experiences through a video presentation in the Museum’s Theatre. Afterwards, she answered questions from schoolchildren and other members of the audience.
Ms. Payette made history during MissionSTS-127 by controlling three robotic arms and also installed a platform on the outside of the Space Station. The voyage was noteworthy for other reasons as well: It united a record 13 astronauts of five nationalities together on a single spacecraft, the International Space Station, and it was the first time two Canadians were in space at the same time — Ms. Payette’s colleague, Robert Thirsk, was already onboard the Space Station since last May. The 16-day mission featured five space walks and 248 orbits of the Earth, travelling 10,537,748 kilometers.
About the Astrolabe Replica
The brass mariner’s astrolabe that will travel to the International Space Station with astronaut Julie Payette is not actually the famous, authentic one believed to have belonged to explorer Samuel de Champlain. The real navigational instrument, a treasure that dates back to the 1600s, is both too valuable and too large to fit into the personal stowage space allotted to each astronaut on Mission STS-127 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. Instead, the Canadian astronaut will carry a scale model carefully crafted by staff at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Museums often make casts and reproductions of valuable and fragile artifacts so they can be safely displayed, studied or shared with other institutions. The Museum of Civilization Display Services department, led by Geoff Wonnacott, uses a wide variety of materials and techniques, from the traditional to the high-tech, to match the original as closely as possible. The astrolabe copy is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing except for its smaller size.
Creating the astrolabe replica was a challenging task entrusted to Dave Dean, Exhibit Display Preparator at the Canadian War Museum (which is affiliated with the Museum of Civilization). Mr. Dean had 20 years of experience as a professional model maker before joining the Museum. He formed the dial from a cast brass plate, using a milling machine and a lathe to achieve the bevelled shape. He also made the indicator, or pointer, out of brass plate, and created the hinging mechanism by hand, using basic metalworking tools and brass bar stock. The degrees and other original markings around the edge were accurately reproduced using a photo-engraving process.
The Canadian Museum of Civilization is the centre for research and public information on the social and human history of the country. Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Museum is Canada’s largest and most popular cultural institution, attracting more than 1.3 million visitors each year. The Museum of Civilization’s principal role is to preserve and promote the heritage of Canada for present and future generations, thereby contributing to the promotion and enhancement of Canadian identity.
Media Information:
Chief, Media Relations
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: 819 776-7167
Media Relations Officer
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: 819 776-7169
Fax: 819 776-7187
