Almost seven years after he joined Canada’s astronaut program, David Saint-Jacques finally got his ticket to space today.
The 46-year-old engineer, astrophysicist and medical doctor from Quebec City, has been booked on a Russian Soyuz rocket that blasts off for the International Space Station in November of 2018, federal Minister of Innovation and Science Navdeep Bains announced in Ottawa today.
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Saint-Jacques, 46, will take part in a six-month mission at the space station, becoming the ninth Canadian astronaut in space.
“Today, I stand on the shoulders of all the astronauts who came before me,” Saint-Jacques said in a statement.
“They inspired me—they were my role models. They sparked my curiosity about space and made me want to experience spaceflight for myself. Space exploration is the next step for humanity, and I am proud to be part of it.”
It’s a snug fit for David Saint-Jacques in the Soyuz simulator during a training session in Star City, Russia. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)
Expedition 58/59 will be the first mission for Saint-Jacques and will mark the 17th space flight for the Canadian Astronaut Corps, said a statement by the Canadian Space Agency.
In anticipation of this first assignment, Saint-Jacques will begin specialized mission training in Russia, Japan, the United States and Canada starting in August and for the next two years until his launch, Bains said.
Saint-Jacques is married and has two children. Apart from being an astronaut, Saint-Jacques is a lifelong mountaineer, cyclist, skier and avid sailor. He also holds a commercial pilot licence with multi-engine and instrument ratings and an advanced scuba-diving licence. Saint-Jacques is fluent in English and French and can also converse in Russian, Spanish and Japanese.
Prior to joining the Canadian Space Program, Saint-Jacques was a medical doctor and the Co-chief of Medicine at Inuulitsivik Health Centre in Puvirnituq, Nunavik, an Inuit community in northern Quebec.
“The doctor in me is eager to conduct experiments and experience first-hand the effects of microgravity on my body, the engineer in me is eager to operate Canadarm2, the astrophysicist in me is eager to look at the stars while floating in my space suit, and of course, the adventurer in me, he’s just eager,” he said at the announcement.
Saint-Jacques gave a special thanks to his training double Jeremy Hansen.
“We’ve been training together for seven years, helping each other every step along the way,” he said. “Today, I’m the lucky one to be picked, but I know very well that it could be him and I can’t wait for him to get his mission next.”
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