Astronaut David Saint-Jacques plays backup role in advance of his own liftoff
MONTREAL — Canada’s next man in space doesn’t have his official liftoff date until December, but David Saint-Jacques says he’s ready if called into action in the coming weeks.
Saint-Jacques, 48, is serving as a backup to European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, who is part of a three-person team scheduled to launch from Kazhakstan on June 6.
Although a backup crew being pressed into duty on short notice has never happened, Saint-Jacques told The Canadian Press on Thursday he is currently relishing a dry run, experiencing all the intricacies of preparing for his stay aboard the International Space Station.
“For the last almost decade, I’ve been training in an adult version of space camp, it’s been PowerPoint and simulators and trainers,” he said from Kazhakstan.