This guy is everything you expect in an astronaut. At least that was my first thought when I was looking at his biography. David St. Jacques was one of only two candidates (along with Jeremy Hansen) chosen in the 2008 Canadian Astronaut draft, the third in our nation’s history.
He has a degree in Engineering Physics, a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, and is a medical doctor. And that’s just his formal education. He’s an avid mountaineer, cyclist, skier, and sailor. Not to mention his advanced certification as a scuba diver, his commercial pilot’s license, and his ability to converse in Russian, Spanish, and Japanese.
And so it was no surprise when it was announced this week that St. Jacques would be the next Canadian to travel to the International Space Station for a six month stay, with the trip taking place sometime in November of 2018.
Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development, Navdeep Bains, made the announcement on Monday, giving Canadians a mission to set their sights on after the return of Chris Hadfield from the ISS in May of 2013.
If you weren’t already impressed, the enthusiasm shown by St. Jacques should definitely win you over. “The doctor in me is eager to conduct experiments and experience first-hand the effects of microgravity on my body,” he said. “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.”
What a guy. Train hard and make us all proud, David!
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