Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques preparing for mission
MOSCOW — For Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques, it’s all about preparation as he continues his training four months before he blasts off into space.
Saint-Jacques, 48, is currently in Moscow along with U.S. astronaut Anne McClain and Russian Oleg Kononenko, who will join him on board a Soyuz aircraft when it launches for the International Space Station from Kazakhstan on Dec. 20.
“The goal is to get to the day of the launch with a clear mind and the confidence you have full possession of your faculties,” he said in an in-person interview with The Canadian Press on Thursday.
“I like the mountain analogy. Right now, I’m climbing Everest. If you ask a climber who is two-thirds up Everest if he is excited about soon getting to the top… no. He is concentrated. He doesn’t want to trip up, doesn’t want to get caught in his rope.”