Former Canadian astronaut Bjarni Tryggvason has died at the age of 76, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced in a press release on Wednesday.
The former engineer and test pilot joined the Canadian space program in December 1983, before taking part in a single 11-day space mission aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1997.
Throughout his rich professional career, the deceased, who grew up in Vancouver, was the recipient of several awards and accolades, including an honorary doctorate of philosophy from the University of Iceland in 2000 and the CSA Innovations Award in 2003.
Having left the space program in 2008 to take up teaching, he was an associate member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, before being inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame in 2020.
“As one of Canada’s first astronauts, Mr. Tryggvason made enormous contributions to the Canadian space program. I offer my sincere condolences to his family, his friends and his former colleagues”, reacted François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
