A captivating and inspiring memoir by Canada's first man in space.

On October 5th, 1984, Marc Garneau made history. Blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center aboard the U.S. Space Shuttle and reaching a speed of 28,000 km/hour, he became the first Canadian to fly to outer space. That monumental achievement, now etched in Canadian history as one of our country’s proudest moments, inspired a nation and ushered in a new era of space exploration for Canada. Twenty-four years later, Garneau made history yet again, becoming the first astronaut to be elected as a Member of Parliament.

In between those two milestones in Garneau’s unprecedented career, he was the first Canadian, and the first non-American, to serve as CAPCOM, the voice of Mission Control for the astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle. In the years that followed his historic first voyage to space, Garneau returned to space two more times, becoming the first Canadian to log three trips into orbit, and led the Canadian Space Agency through its most dynamic years.

In the House of Commons, Garneau would ultimately serve in two cabinet posts as Minister of Transport and Minister of Foreign Affairs during some of the biggest events of the past decade: the onset of one of the worst pandemics in modern times; the arbitrary detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor by China; the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban; and the death of 85 Canadian citizens and permanent residents aboard Ukrainian Airlines Flight 752, shot down by Iran.

It was no surprise, then, that when Marc Garneau announced his retirement after fourteen years in government, many Canadians lamented the loss of an upstanding parliamentarian who was not afraid to speak up for causes he believed in, even if that meant bucking his own party and its leader.

In A Most Extraordinary Ride: Space, Politics, and the Pursuit of a Canadian Dream, Garneau chronicles his once-improbable ascent from a mischievous teenager and rebellious naval midshipman to a decorated astronaut and statesman who represented Canada on the world stage – both on and off the planet. With candour and humour, Garneau describes the highs and lows of his life and career, including the awe he experienced first seeing the earth from space, the tragic loss of his first wife to mental illness and suicide, sailing across the Atlantic and back in a sailboat called "the Pickle," and witnessing the tragedy of the doomed shuttle Challenger.

Honest and illuminating, A Most Extraordinary Ride is a rare journey into the early years of Canada’s space program and an inside account of the joys and challenges of governing from one of Canada’s most distinguished citizens.

Marc Garneau's profile page

MARC GARNEAU has distinguished himself in three distinct fields. As a naval officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, he spent 10 years as a combat systems engineer. In 1984, Garneau became the first Canadian astronaut to go to space and, from 2001 to 2005, was president of the Canadian Space Agency. As a federal politician, he has served as Liberal house leader, Minister of Transport and Minister of Foreign affairs. He lives in Montreal with his wife, and has four children.

“Marc Garneau has stood out as a leader and a beacon, ever since I first knew him as a young cadet. Despite facing demanding challenges, even then, he projected a unique blend of optimism and fearlessness that served him and all those under his command well—both at sea and in outer space. Years later, we were together in the Liberal caucus, where he maintained that positive serenity and stable confidence, even in turbulent times. In A Most Extraordinary Ride, Marc Garneau shares much more than how to become an astronaut, or a politician. With honesty and optimism, he shares how to rise, again and again—from life’s falls and failures, pushes and punches—all the way to the stars.”
—Lieutenant-General (ret'd) The Honourable Roméo Dallaire

“Marc Garneau is a national hero. Period. He has lived more life than most of us ever will, all of it deeply rooted in public service. Here he lays bare his two identities: the astronaut and the politician—one fixated on the challenges of space, the other, the challenges of making a better country. Garneau isn’t afraid to confront the twists and turns of his own journey, ones we never knew about, while exposing the strengths and weaknesses of those around him. It is a blunt telling of a remarkable life both above earth and on it—a life fuller than even he may realize.”
—Peter Mansbridge

“With characteristic humility and modesty, Marc Garneau leads us through his lifetime of adventure, accomplishment, and challenge in public service as a naval officer, astronaut, and politician. . . . Along the way we learn the strength of resilience from his personal insights derived through setbacks, tragedy, and persistence. This is a masterwork of a principled public servant whose contributions demonstrate a role model for our time.”
—Sean O’Keefe, NASA Administrator, 2001-05

“This is the story of a courageous explorer, scientist, public servant, and patriot. I became a Marc Garneau fan and follower from the moment he became Canada’s first astronaut. He is the rare example of someone who was excellent at every role he took on, from naval officer to astronaut to Parliamentarian. Humble, open, thoughtful, and ever gracious, Marc’s story should inspire pride in all Canadians. He is one of our best.”
—Hon. John Manley

“Marc Garneau’s ‘extraordinary ride’ gives us a front seat on his journey of purpose and public service. His story is a reminder that even in this age of cynicism, politics is still where good people can make a difference. Marc’s courageous decision to harness his lifetime of accomplishment and bring to bear his intelligence, judgment, decency, integrity, and kindness into politics was a gift to all Canadians. I hope this story inspires other accomplished citizens to step up, and have the courage to put their names on ballots.”
—Hon. Scott Brison, P.C.