Behind the scenes - Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques trains in Russia

On August 16 and 17, Canadian media were granted special access to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia, where they followed and filmed Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut David Saint-Jacques and his crewmates as they trained for Expedition 58.

Here are images taken during the event.

Simulation of manual descent in a Soyuz capsule

CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques is in a simulation of manual descent in a Soyuz capsule. The Soyuz is automated, but he must be ready to take over and fly it manually.

Credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC)

CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques gives the media an inside look at a centrifuge, where astronauts experience the G-force they'll be subject to during space flight.

Credit: CSA

David Saint-Jacques sittin inside a centrifuge

Credit: CSA

Emergency preparedness training

David Saint-Jacques and his crewmates take part in emergency preparedness training in Star City, Russia. They are practising how to handle one of the main hazards aboard the International Space Station: air contamination caused by an ammonia leak.