Five U of T Engineering alumni make shortlist to become Canada’s next astronaut

Aaron Persad shows off a small sample of water
Alumnus Aaron Persad shows off a small sample of water he took on a microgravity simulation test flight in November 2016. Persad is one of 72 candidates the Canadian Space Agency is considering to become Canada’s next astronaut. (Photo courtesy Aaron Persad)

Aaron Persad (EngSci 0T6, MIE PhD 1T4) is one of five U of T Engineering alumni named to the Canadian Space Agency’s shortlist of candidates to become Canada’s next astronaut.

“I felt excited, honoured and a bit surprised, since I knew I was competing with very highly qualified colleagues,” said Persad. “While space is big, the space community is small and I am delighted to see that several colleagues are also in the CSA shortlist.”

A postdoctoral fellow currently working in the lab of Professor David Sinton (MIE), Persad is one of 72 people from across Canada under consideration for two upcoming astronaut roles with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Other U of T Engineering alumni on the list include:

Read more about Persad’s journey on U of T Engineering News and follow the hashtag #BeTheNextCDNAstro on Twitter for updates.