One of Canada's original six astronauts is retiring from the space business.The Canadian Press has learned Bjarni Tryggvason is leaving the Canadian Space Agency in June after almost 25 years as an astronaut.
The 62-year-old father of two says he has decided not to renew his contract when it comes up this summer.
Tryggvason told The Canadian Press that he plans to spend the next year teaching at the University of Western Ontario.
He went into space in 1997 when the former pilot flew as a payload specialist aboard Space Shuttle Discovery.
Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, Tryggvason was selected as one of the original six Canadian astronauts in December, 1983.
His retirement comes as the Canadian Space Agency gets set to begin a national astronaut recruitment campaign at the end of May.