David Saint-Jacques

David Saint-Jacques (born January 6, 1970) is a Canadian astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). He is also an astrophysicist, engineer, and a physician. Saint-Jacques was selected to join the CSA in the 2009 group of astronauts and has completed two spaceflights.

Early life and education

Saint-Jacques was born in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. He earned a degree in engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1993, a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Cambridge University in 1998, and a medical degree from Université Laval in 2005.

Career

After completing his education, Saint-Jacques worked as a medical doctor and the Co-chief of Medicine at Inuulitsivik Health Centre in Puvirnituq, Nunavik, Canada. He also worked as a clinical faculty lecturer for the McGill University's Faculty of Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine.

In May 2009, Saint-Jacques was selected by the CSA to join the astronaut corps. He completed his astronaut training in 2011. His first spaceflight was on December 3, 2018, as part of Expedition 58/59 to the International Space Station (ISS). During his mission, he conducted Canadian and international science experiments and technology demonstrations, and supported critical operations and maintenance activities. He returned to Earth on June 24, 2019.

Personal life

Saint-Jacques is married and has three children. He is fluent in English and French, and also speaks Spanish, Japanese, and Russian.

See also

• List of astronauts by year of selection
• Canadian astronauts