View source for David Saint-Jacques

{{Short description|Canadian astronaut (born 1970)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=April 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox astronaut
|name             = David Saint-Jacques
|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|size=100%|OC|OQ|FRCGS}}
|image            = David Saint-Jacques official portrait.jpg
|alt              = Saint-Jacques wearing a blue uniform
|caption          = Saint-Jacques in 2008
|birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1970|1|6|df=y}} 
|birth_place      = [[Quebec City]], Quebec, Canada
|death_date       = 
|death_place      = 
|education        = {{plainlist|
*[[Université de Montréal]] ([[Bachelor of Engineering|BEng]])
*[[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])
*[[Université Laval]] ([[Doctor of Medicine|MD]])}}
|type             = [[CSA astronaut]]
|time             = 203{{nbsp}}days, 15{{nbsp}}hours, 16{{nbsp}}minutes<ref name=cbs-20190625 />
|selection        = [[List of astronauts by selection#2009|2009 CSA Group]]<br>[[NASA Astronaut Group 20|NASA Group 20 (2009)]]
|evas             = 1
|eva_time = 6{{nbsp}}hours, 29{{nbsp}}minutes
|mission          = [[Soyuz MS-11]] ([[Expedition&nbsp;57]]/[[Expedition 58|58]]/[[Expedition 59|59]])
|insignia         = [[File:ISS Expedition 57 Patch.svg|40px]]  [[File:ISS Expedition 58 Patch.svg|40px]] [[File:ISS Expedition 59 Patch.svg|50px]]
|module = {{Infobox scientist
|embed = yes
|field = [[Astrophysics]]
|thesis_title = Astronomical Seeing in Space and Time: A Study of Atmospheric Turbulence in Spain and England, 1994-98
|thesis_url = https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/894601444
|thesis_year = 1999}}
}}
'''David Saint-Jacques''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|OC|OQ|FRCGS}}<ref name = CC>{{cite web | url=https://www.gg.ca/en/order-canada-appointees-december-2022 | title=Order of Canada appointees – December 2022 | website=The Governor General of Canada | date=29 December 2022 | access-date=29 December 2022 }}</ref> ({{small|[[Quebec French phonology|Quebec French]]:}} {{IPA|fr|davɪd sẽɪ̯̃nʒã(ŋ)k̚|}}, {{IPA|fr|david sɛ̃ʒak}}; born 6 January 1970)<ref name="NEEMO Bios">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO15/crew.html|title=NASA – Meet the NEEMO 15 Crew|access-date=19 September 2011|publisher=NASA|date=15 September 2011|author=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|author-link=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|archive-date=25 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925122726/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO15/crew.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> is a Canadian [[astronaut]] with the [[Canadian Space Agency]] (CSA). He is also an [[astrophysicist]], [[engineer]], and a [[physician]].

In December 2018, he launched to the [[International Space Station]], as Flight Engineer on Expeditions [[Expedition 57|57]], [[Expedition 58|58]] and [[Expedition 59|59]]; he returned to Earth on 25 June 2019.

== Astronaut career ==
[[File:NEEMO 15 crew final hab shot.jpg|thumb|right|The NEEMO 15 crew. Left to right: [[Takuya Onishi]], [[Shannon Walker]], Saint-Jacques, [[Steve Squyres]], and Aquarius habitat technicians Nate Bender and [[James Talacek]].]]
Saint-Jacques was selected in May 2009 by the [[Canadian Space Agency]] (CSA) as one of two [[List of astronauts by year of selection#2009|CSA astronaut positions]], after a long process selection attended by 5,351 candidates, and moved to [[Houston]] to be one of 14 members of the [[NASA Astronaut Group 20|20th NASA astronaut class]].<ref name="JSC Astronaut Candidate Bios">{{cite web|url=http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/saint-jacques-d.html|title=Astronaut Candidate Bio: David Saint-Jacques (10/2011)|publisher=[[NASA]]|access-date=12 February 2012}}</ref><ref name="École Polytechnique">{{cite web|url=http://www.polymtl.ca/sg/docs_officiels/1312causa_2010_2.pdf|title=DOCTORAT ''HONORIS CAUSA''|year=2010|publisher=[[École Polytechnique de Montréal]]|access-date=12 February 2012}}</ref> He then graduated from [[Astronaut#Training|Astronaut Candidate Training]] that included [[International Space Station#Scientific research|scientific]] and [[International Space Station#Operations|technical briefings]], intensive instruction in [[International Space Station#Onboard systems|International Space Station systems]], [[extravehicular activity]] (EVA), [[International Space Station#Robotic arms and cargo cranes|robotics]], [[physical exercise|physiological training]], [[Northrop T-38 Talon#NASA|T-38]] [[flight training]], [[Russian language]] and water and wilderness [[survival skills|survival training]]. Since graduation, he has been assigned to the Robotics Branch of the [[List of buildings in the Johnson Space Center|Astronaut Office]].<ref name="JSC Astronaut Candidate Bios"/>

=== NEEMO 15 ===
On 19 September 2011, [[NASA]] announced that Saint-Jacques would serve as an [[aquanaut]] aboard the [[Aquarius (laboratory)|Aquarius]] [[Underwater habitat|underwater laboratory]] during the [[NEEMO#NEEMO 15: October 20–26, 2011|NEEMO 15]] undersea exploration mission from 17–30 October 2011.<ref name="fifteen">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/sep/HQ_11-309_NEEMO.html|title=NASA – NASA Announces 15th Undersea Exploration Mission Date And Crew |access-date=19 September 2011|publisher=NASA|date=19 September 2011|author=NASA}}</ref> Delayed by stormy weather and high seas, the mission began on 20 October 2011.<ref name="fifteen2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO15/topside-reports.html|title=NASA – NEEMO 15 Topside Reports|access-date=1 April 2019|publisher=NASA|date=27 October 2011|author=NASA|archive-date=5 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405014311/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO15/topside-reports.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="fifteen3">{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.nasa.gov/analogsfieldtesting/2011/10/21/post_1319199446023/|title=NEEMO 15 – Splashdown Day!|access-date=1 April 2019|publisher=NASA|date=21 October 2011|last=Walker|first=Shannon|author-link=Shannon Walker}}</ref> On the afternoon of 21 October, Saint-Jacques and his crewmates officially became aquanauts, having spent over 24 hours underwater. NEEMO 15 ended early on 26 October due to the approach of [[Hurricane Rina]].<ref name="fifteen2"/>

=== CAVES 2013 ===
In 2013, Saint-Jacques served as cavenaut into the [[ESA CAVES]]<ref>{{Cite journal|date=1 July 2021|title=Speleology as an analogue to space exploration: The ESA CAVES training programme|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576521001478|journal=Acta Astronautica|language=en|volume=184|pages=150–166|doi=10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.04.003|issn=0094-5765|last1=Sauro|first1=Francesco|last2=De Waele|first2=Jo|last3=Payler|first3=Samuel J.|last4=Vattano|first4=Marco|last5=Sauro|first5=Francesco Maria|last6=Turchi|first6=Leonardo|last7=Bessone|first7=Loredana|bibcode=2021AcAau.184..150S|s2cid=234819922 |hdl=11585/819077|hdl-access=free}}</ref> training in [[Sardinia]], alongside [[Soichi Noguchi]], [[Andreas Mogensen]], [[Nikolai Tikhonov (cosmonaut)|Nikolai Tikhonov]], [[Andrew J. Feustel|Andrew Feustel]] and [[Michael Fincke]].

=== Expeditions 57/58/59 ===
[[File:ISS-57 David Saint-Jacques works inside the Destiny lab.jpg|thumb|Saint-Jacques completes the Bone Densitometer calibration in support of the Rodent Research-8 investigation during [[Expedition 57]] at the [[Destiny lab|''Destiny'' lab]]]]
[[File:ISS-59 EVA-3 (k) David Saint-Jacques.jpg|thumb|right|Saint-Jaques during his first spacewalk, on ISS Expedition 59]]

In May 2016 Saint-Jacques was selected as a member of ISS [[Expedition 58]]/[[Expedition 59|59]], which at the time was scheduled to start in November 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/missions/expedition58-59/default.asp|title = Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques' mission|date = 16 May 2016}}</ref>

On 3 December 2018, Saint-Jacques launched to the ISS on board [[Soyuz MS-11]], alongside commander [[Oleg Kononenko]] and fellow flight engineer [[Anne McClain]].<ref name="nsf20181203">{{cite news |last1=Gebhardt |first1=Chris |title=100th orbital launch of 2018: International trio set for launch to Space Station – NASASpaceFlight.com |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/12/100th-orbital-launch-2018-international-trio-space-station/ |access-date=3 December 2018 |work=NASASpaceflight.com}}</ref> He  became a member of the [[Expedition 57]] crew for two weeks before transferring to Expedition 58, which officially started on 20 December 2018 when the [[Expedition 57]] crew left the station. Saint-Jacques, Kononenko and McClain subsequently transferred to Expedition 59 on 14 March 2019 with the arrival of [[Soyuz MS-12]].

On 8 April 2019, Saint-Jacques conducted his first [[spacewalk]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Harding |first1=Pete |last2=Bergin |first2=Chris |title=Following ISS battery upgrade, EVA-54 works on power systems |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/04/astronauts-begin-spacewalk-replace-stations-batteries/ |work=NASASpaceFlight.com}}</ref> becoming the fourth Canadian astronaut to take part in an {{abbr|EVA|Extra-Vehicular Activity}} and the first to do so in 12 years. The spacewalk lasted roughly seven hours.<ref>{{cite news |title=Astronaut David Saint-Jacques first Canadian to perform spacewalk in 12 years |url=https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9272303-astronaut-david-saint-jacques-first-canadian-to-perform-spacewalk-in-12-years/ |work=The Hamilton Spectator |date=8 April 2019 |language=en-CA}}</ref>

Saint-Jacques, McClain and Kononenko returned to Earth on board Soyuz MS-11 on 24 June 2019.<ref name=cbs-20190625>{{cite news |last1=Harwood |first1=William |title=3 station fliers complete "once-in-a-lifetime ride" home after 204-day stay in orbit |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/soyuz-3-station-fliers-wrap-up-204-day-stay-in-orbit-landing-complete-kazakhstan-today-2019-06-24/ |work=CBS News |date=25 June 2019}}</ref>

== Education and earlier career ==
Saint-Jacques holds a [[Bachelor of Engineering]] in [[Engineering physics|Engineering Physics]] from the [[École polytechnique de Montréal]], an affiliated college of [[Université de Montréal]], where he graduated in 1993.<ref name="NEEMO Bios"/> He later graduated in 1998 with a [[Doctor of Philosophy]] in [[astrophysics]],<ref name="PhD Thesis">{{cite web|url=http://olbin.jpl.nasa.gov/theses/dsj-thesis.ps|title=Atmospheric Seeing in Space and Time: a study of atmospheric turbulence in Spain and England, 1994-98|author=David Saint-Jacques|date=December 1998|publisher=[[University of Cambridge]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090518232931/http://olbin.jpl.nasa.gov/theses/dsj-thesis.ps|archive-date=18 May 2009|url-status=dead|access-date=16 May 2009}};  [https://archive.today/20131018114233/http://www.mrao.cam.ac.uk/projects/OAS/publications/fulltext/dsj_thesis.ps View as HTML].</ref> from the [[Cavendish Astrophysics Group]] at [[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge]]. Saint-Jacques completed [[postdoctoral research]] at the [[National Astronomical Observatory of Japan]] between 1999 and 2001, where he worked on the development and application of the [[Mitaka, Tokyo|Mitaka]] [[Astronomical interferometer|Infrared Interferometer]] in Japan and the [[Subaru Telescope#Instruments|Subaru Telescope Adaptive Optics System]] in [[Hawaii]].<ref name="JSC Astronaut Candidate Bios"/><ref name="École Polytechnique"/><ref name="Publ. Astron. Soc. Jpn.">{{cite web|url=http://optik2.mtk.nao.ac.jp/~iye/papers/iye157.pdf|title=Near-Infrared Coronagraphy of the GG Tauri A Binary System|author=David Saint-Jacques|date=25 December 2002|publisher=PASJ|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20070417223841/http://optik2.mtk.nao.ac.jp/~iye/papers/iye157.pdf|archive-date=17 April 2007|url-status=dead|access-date=12 February 2012|display-authors=etal}}</ref> He also holds a [[Doctor of Medicine]] from [[Université Laval]] completed in 2005<ref>{{Cite web|date=29 January 2021|title=Canadian astronaut swaps space suit for lab coat to practice medicine in pandemic|url=https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/canadian-astronaut-swaps-space-suit-for-lab-coat-to-practice-medicine-in-pandemic-1.5287889|access-date=31 January 2021|website=Montreal|language=en}}</ref> and completed a [[Family medicine]] [[Residency (medicine)|residency]] at [[McGill University]] (2007) ([[Specialty (medicine)|specializing]] in [[Therapy#First or second line|first-line]], [[Isolation (health care)|isolated]] [[medical practice]]).<ref name="NEEMO Bios"/>

His broad scientific background includes [[engineering]], [[astrophysics]] and medical training, with international experience in France and Hungary for engineering study and [[Lebanon]] and [[Guatemala]] for medical study.<ref name="JSC Astronaut Candidate Bios" /> Saint-Jacques is affiliated with the Collège des médecins du Québec, the [[College of Family Physicians of Canada]], [[Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec]], [[International Society for Optical Engineering]], and the [[Cambridge Philosophical Society]] as a Life Fellow.<ref name="JSC Astronaut Candidate Bios" /> Saint-Jacques began his career in 1996 as a [[biomedical engineering|biomedical engineer]] at the Quebec firm Electromed with secondment to [[Lariboisière Hospital]], working on the design of [[radiology|radiological]] [[medical equipment|equipment]] for [[angiography]] and [[image analysis]] [[algorithm]]s of cineangiography.<ref name="JSC Astronaut Candidate Bios" /><ref name="École Polytechnique" />

From 1994 to 1998, his studies included [[theoretical astronomy|theoretical work]] on [[observational astronomy|astronomical observation]] and design, fabrication and commissioning of instruments for the [[Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope]] and for the [[William Herschel Telescope]] in the [[Canary Islands]].<ref name="JSC Astronaut Candidate Bios" /> During the course of this research under [[doctoral advisor|supervisor]] [[John E. Baldwin]] he made several trips abroad on sponsorship from the [[Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council]], the [[Cavendish Astrophysics Group]], [[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge|Corpus Christi College]] and the [[Cambridge Philosophical Society]], and decided to pursue [[postdoctoral research|further research experience]] in Japan.<ref name="PhD Thesis" /> In 2001, he joined the Astrophysics group at the [[academic department|Department]] de [[physics|physique]], [[Université de Montréal]].<ref name="JSC Astronaut Candidate Bios" /><ref name="Astronomical Society of Japan">{{cite web|url=http://optik2.mtk.nao.ac.jp/~iye/papers/iye201.pdf|title=Performance of Subaru Cassegrain Adaptive Optics System|author=David Saint-Jacques|date=25 February 2004|publisher=PASJ|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20080221181735/http://optik2.mtk.nao.ac.jp/~iye/papers/iye201.pdf|archive-date=21 February 2008|url-status=dead|access-date=12 February 2012|display-authors=etal}}</ref>

Prior to joining the [[Canadian Space Program]], Saint-Jacques was a [[medical doctor]] and the Co-chief of Medicine at Inuulitsivik Health Centre in [[Puvirnituq, Quebec]] since 2007. He also worked as a [[Clinic]]al [[Faculty (academic staff)|Faculty]] [[Lecturer]] for [[McGill University Faculty of Medicine|McGill University's Faculty of Medicine]], supervising [[Medical school in Canada|medical trainees]] in [[Nunavik]].<ref name="NEEMO Bios" />

==Personal life==
Saint-Jacques was born in [[Quebec City]] and raised in Montreal.<ref>[https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/canadian/active/bio-david-saint-jacques.asp Biography of David Saint-Jacques], Retrieved 25 August 2021.</ref> Saint-Jacques is married to Dr. Véronique Morin and has three children.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/781a7dee-ea5e-4c35-b836-f25a1865eb9d__7C___0.html|title = La femme de l'astronaute|date = 24 February 2018}}</ref> He is a lifelong mountaineer, hiker, cyclist, skier, and sailor.<ref name="NEEMO Bios" /><ref name="JSC Astronaut Candidate Bios" /> He also holds a [[Commercial pilot licence|commercial pilot license]].<ref name="JSC Astronaut Candidate Bios" /> He is fluent in French and English, and has a basic understanding of Russian, Spanish and Japanese.<ref name="NEEMO Bios" /><ref name="JSC Astronaut Candidate Bios" /><ref name="CSA Profile">{{cite web|url=http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/biosaintjacques.asp|title=David Saint-Jacques|date=14 May 2009|publisher=[[Canadian Space Agency]]|access-date=14 May 2009}}</ref>

==Academic distinctions==
*"1967" Science and Engineering Scholarship, [[Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada]] (NSERC) (1994–1998)
*Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Honorary Scholar (1994–1998)
*United Kingdom Overseas Research Student Award (1994–1998)
*Postdoctoral Fellowship, Japan Society for Promotion of Science (1999–2001)
*Scholarship, [[Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation|Canada Millennium]] (2001–2005)
*[[Doctorate#Honorary|Doctorat ''Honoris Causa'']], [[École polytechnique de Montréal]] of [[Université de Montréal]] (2010)<ref name="École Polytechnique"/>

==Honors and awards==
* '''Fellow''' of the [[Royal Canadian Geographical Society]]
* '''Gold Medal''' of the [[Royal Canadian Geographical Society]]
* '''Special distinction''' from the [[Collège des médecins du Québec]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Le Collège des médecins honore l'astronaute David Saint-Jacques |url=https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/11/06/le-college-des-medecins-honore-lastronaute-david-saint-jacques |work=Le Journal de Montréal |agency=QMI |date=6 November 2020 |language=fr-ca |trans-title=Quebec College of Physicians honors astronaut David Saint-Jacques}}</ref>
* '''Officier''' of the [[National Order of Quebec]] (2020)<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Ordre national du Québec|title=L'Ordre national du Québec honorera des personnalités qui ont changé le visage du Québec|date=11 May 2021|language=fr|url=https://www.ordre-national.gouv.qc.ca/actualites/communiques/2021-05-11.asp}}</ref>
* Officer of the [[Order of Canada]] (2022)<ref name=CC/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/nhl-s-sidney-crosby-astronaut-david-saint-jacques-among-99-named-to-order-of-canada-1.6211529|title=NHL's Sidney Crosby, astronaut David Saint-Jacques among 99 named to Order of Canada|date=29 December 2022|website=CTVNews}}</ref>

==References==
{{Include-NASA|article=NASA – Meet the NEEMO 15 Crew|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO15/crew.html|date=15 September 2011|accessdate=19 September 2011}}

{{Include-NASA|article=Astronaut Candidate Bio: David Saint-Jacques (10/2011)|url=http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/saint-jacques-d.html|accessdate=12 February 2012}}

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/saint-jacques-d.html Astronaut Candidate Bio: David Saint-Jacques (09/2009)]
*[http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/international/english/saint-jacques_david.htm Spacefacts biography of David Saint-Jacques]
* {{twitter}}

{{Canadian Space Agency}}
{{NASA Astronaut Group 20|state=autocollapse}}
{{Underwater diving|unddiv}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2014}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Jacques, David}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Collège de Montréal alumni]]
[[Category:Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Aquanauts]]
[[Category:Canadian astronauts]]
[[Category:Crew members of the International Space Station]]
[[Category:Physicians from Montreal]]
[[Category:Physician astronauts]]
[[Category:People from Quebec City]]
[[Category:People from Saint-Lambert, Quebec]]
[[Category:Université Laval alumni]]
[[Category:Université de Montréal alumni]]
[[Category:Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholars]]
[[Category:Commercial aviators]]
[[Category:Spacewalkers]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Canada]]