Step into the void of space at Okanagan College

VERNON – Ever wondered what it’s like to float around in outer space without the protection of a billion dollar spaceship? Few people have done it but an award winning science journalist and the host of CBC’s Quirks & Quarks is speaking at Okanagan College’s Vernon campus about what it’s like to step into the void of space.

Bob McDonald has interviewed all three Canadian spacewalkers and on Monday, November 17, McDonald will explore the fascinating and important contributions made by Canadian astronauts in his presentation called Canadian Spacewalkers: What’s it like to step into the abyss?

“There are astronauts and there are spacewalkers,” writes Christine Ulmer of Okanagan College. “Astronauts leave the earth’s atmosphere in a spaceship. Spacewalkers don pressure suits and step outside into the universe—a physically demanding, mentally rigorous endeavour. It’s so difficult, in fact, only three Canadians have ever succeeded: Chris Hadfield, Steve MacLean and Dave Williams.”

McDonald’s talk is part of the Science in Society Speaker Series, a joint project by Okanagan Science Centre and the Okanagan College.

Admission is $15 in advance or $20 at the door. For tickets, call the Okanagan Science Centre at 250-545-3644.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.