It's not too unusual for children to say they would like to be astronauts when they grow up, but for Olathe MacIntyre that childhood dream could become a reality.
MacIntyre, a staff scientist with Science North, is among the top 100 candidates to be the Canadian Space Agency's next astronaut.
More than 3,700 people applied for the coveted position, and in August the space agency will name the two candidates who could one day work aboard the International Space Station.
MacIntyre said her parents always supported her dream when she was growing up in Bancroft, Ontario.
“When I started seriously thinking about what career I wanted to have, people were telling me I could be anything I wanted to be, which was awesome. But it was also a little bit daunting,” she said. “I just tried to think of the most amazing career I could think of. And that was being an astronaut.”
But being an astronaut is a bit like being a rock star, she said, and only a select few ever make it to those heights.
MacIntyre currently teaches Science North's visitors about the cosmos at the centre's newly upgraded planetarium and various space exhibits.
She said her entire career trajectory has focused on joining the ranks of Canadian astronauts.
She has a bachelor in biology from Dalhousie University, a master's degree in space sciences and a PhD in environmental sciences.
MacIntyre said her fallback plan was always to be a marine biologist.
“I thought, 'Wow, this is pretty good, but it would be even cooler to go to the Moon,'” she said.
Through her marine research she lived in Alaska for two years, where she spent a year at sea aboard the famous crab fishing boats documented in the Discovery Channel show "Deadliest Catch."
That experience taught her to work well in a dangerous environment, isolated from many of the conveniences most people take for granted.
Beyond the excitement that comes with being an astronaut, MacIntyre said is attracted to the platform it would give her to talk about issues like climate change, and to be a role model to young people.
“I also love that it's inspiring,” she said. “I like the idea of being inspirational, of being able to encourage other women and young people to pursue their dreams and to study science.”
But before the Canadian Space Agency chooses its candidates she still has to complete a number of tests – both mental and physical – and interviews to prove she is the right person for the job.
