Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques, who is set to fly to the International Space Station in November, will begin his NASA training for that mission in February, the organization announced on Sunday.
Saint-Jacques will be the first Canadian aboard the ISS since Chris Hadfield spent five months aboard the station in 2013.
By the time he leaves Earth, the 47-year-old Quebecer will have undergone intense training, including time in the microgravity simulator. He will also be familiarized with the ISS’s various systems and emergency procedures in a life-size model of the station.
Saint-Jacques, who was trained as both an engineer and a doctor, will depart for his six month mission in a Russian Soyuz craft.
