On Tuesday, June 2, 2015, at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, Canada’s Industry Minister James Moore announced that Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques will be heading to the International Space Station by 2024. This comes with the announcement of Canada’s renewed commitment to the International Space Station, with the Canadian Space Agency providing $10.5 million in support of the Canadarm2, Dextre, and the Mobile Base. One of the astronauts will be guaranteed a spot on a mission by 2019 and the other will fly by 2024. Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques were first selected to join the Canadian Astronaut Corps in May of 2009. These two have been preparing to head into space since 2009, spending years training with trips to the Arctic, caves, and living underwater. In addition to training, the two play a vital role at the CSA and NASA; they have worked in mission control, reviewed robotics procedures, and training others. Neither of these two astronauts had a doubt about their chance to head off to space. “I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity to fly in space on behalf of Canada.” Hansen said. These two men may also be the first to fly the next generation spacecraft currently being built by SpaceX and Boeing. The two astronauts will spend the next decade continuing their training with NASA in Houston, preparing for their space flights by 2024. Next Thursday, Hansen will be returning to train in NASA’s giant pool training in a spacesuit for a spacewalk and taking part in the development of a new training program that will simulate a week on the space station.
The Canadian Astronaut Corps was established under the management of the National Research Council of Canada in 1983. In 1989, the Canadian Space Agency was established as an independent government agency to deal will all Canadian space matters and the Canadian Astronaut Program as well. In 1992, the Canadian Space Agency recruited four more individuals to undergo astronaut training, one of those individuals being Waterloo’s most well-known astronaut, Col. Chris Hadfield. In 2008, the CSA launched a new recruitment campaign and in 2009, selected Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques.
Jeremy Hansen was born on January 27, 1976 in London, Ontario and raised on a farm near Ailsa Craig, Ontario. He is married with three children. Hansen holds a Bachelor of Science in Space Science from the Royal Military College in 1999 and earned a Masters of Science in Physics in 2000. Hansen is a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force and has piloted the CF-18 fighter plane. Hansen served as an aquanaut aboard NASA’s Aquarius underwater laboratory during the NEEMO 19 undersea exploration mission for seven days.
David Saint-Jacques was born on January 6, 1970 in Quebec City, Quebec and was raised in the Montreal suburb of Saint-Lambert. Saint-Jacques is married and two children. He has a wide scientific background including engineering, astrophysics and medical training. Saint-Jacques’ experience includes a B.Eng. in Engineering Physics from École polytechnique de Montréal, a PhD from the University of Cambridge, postdoctoral research from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, a Medical Doctorate from Université of Laval, and Family medicine MD residency at McGill University. Prior to joining the Canadian Space Program, Dr. Saint-Jacques was a medical doctor and the Co-chief of Medicine at Inuulitsivik Health Centre in Puvirnituq, Quebec. Saint-Jacques served as an aquanaut abroad the Aquarius underwater laboratory during the NEEMO 15 undersea exploration mission from October 17-30, 2011.
In addition to renewed commitments to the robotic and human crews of the International Space Station, four space experiments led by researchers from Canadian Universities are planned for the station in the fall. These experiments will focus on the effects of a zero gravity environment and space travel on human health. Canada is also extending its participation in the mission of NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover by two years, specifically the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument. This instrument was designed by scientists at the University of Guelph to analyze soil and rock on Mars.
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