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National Astronaut Recruitment Campaign Images and Videos

Videos

The candidates in action video (Format WMV)

• High resolution (14.2 Mb)
• Low resolution (4 Mb)

Press conference video (Format WMV) (52.2 Mb)

Images

Two astronauts in training

David Saint-Jacques and Jeremy Hansen, Canada's newest astronauts, began their training in Canada this summer before reporting to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where they started astronaut class on August 24, 2009.
Visit our image gallery for more training pictures.

Ottawa, Ontario

On May 13, 2009, the Honourable Industry Minister Tony Clement and CSA President Steve MacLean revealed the names of Canada's newest astronauts. David Saint-Jacques and Jeremy Hansen were chosen among 5351 applicants.

New Canadian astronauts David Saint-Jacques and Jeremy Hansen, Industry Minister Tony Clement and CSA President Steve MacLean.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets Canada's two new astronauts.

(Photo: Prime Minister's Office)

Toronto, Ontario

On March 16, 2009, CSA President Steve MacLean introduced the top 16 candidates in the National Astronaut Recruitment Campaign during a press conference held at at Defence Research Development Canada facilities in Toronto, Ontario. Over several months, the CSA interviewed candidates and put them through a series of medical exams as well as physical and skills tests in what were sometimes extreme conditions. The candidates have also been tested for their creativity, teamwork skills and physical fitness to determine their ability to meet the demands of astronaut training and space flight.

Toronto, Ontario

During the week of March 16-20, 2009, the top 16 candidates were put through medical and psychological exams at Defence Research Development Canada and North York General Hospital in Toronto, Ontario.

Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

From February 17-20, 2009, the 31 top candidates faced a battery of tests, from emergency management and first aid, to damage control. The tests took place at the Damage Control Division of the Canadian Forces Naval Engineering School in Halifax, NS, as well as Survival Systems Training Limited in Dartmouth, NS.

Saint-Hubert and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) completed robotics and fitness tests (including swimming) of the top forty candidates January 19-23, 2009. The evaluations took place in the Montreal area and it was the first time candidates were brought together for testing since the beginning of the campaign.