Astronaut / en 91Թ alumni make shortlist to become Canada’s next astronauts /news/u-t-alumni-make-shortlist-become-canada-s-next-astronauts <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">91Թ alumni make shortlist to become Canada’s next astronauts</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Aaron%20Persad_0.jpg?h=0808bdec&amp;itok=JQHuQalF 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Aaron%20Persad_0.jpg?h=0808bdec&amp;itok=d7gaSTcR 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Aaron%20Persad_0.jpg?h=0808bdec&amp;itok=0GgsO5F- 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Aaron%20Persad_0.jpg?h=0808bdec&amp;itok=JQHuQalF" alt="photo of Aaron Persad"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-02-02T13:18:53-05:00" title="Thursday, February 2, 2017 - 13:18" class="datetime">Thu, 02/02/2017 - 13:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Aaron Persad shows off a small sample of water he took on a microgravity simulation test flight in November 2016. Persad is one of 70 candidates the Canadian Space Agency is considering to become Canada’s next astronaut (photo courtesy Aaron Persad)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tyler-irving" hreflang="en">Tyler Irving</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Tyler Irving</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/space" hreflang="en">Space</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/astronaut" hreflang="en">Astronaut</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canadian-space-agency" hreflang="en">Canadian Space Agency</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Five on the list are 91Թ engineering alumni; others include a marine geophysicist, a Canadian Armed Forces official and severe weather researcher with Environment and Climate Change Canada </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Aaron Persad</strong> is one of 11&nbsp;91Թ alumni named to the Canadian Space Agency’s shortlist of candidates to become Canada’s next two astronauts.</p> <p>“I felt excited, honoured and a bit surprised&nbsp;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.”</p> <p>A postdoctoral researcher&nbsp;currently working in the lab of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Professor <strong>David Sinton</strong>, Persad is one of <a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/map.asp">72&nbsp;people from across Canada </a>under consideration for two upcoming astronaut roles with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).</p> <p>He's one of five 91Թ Engineering alumni to make the shortlist. Other Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering alumni on the list are:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?eyer-jesse"><strong>Jesse Koovik Eyer</strong></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?frenzel-francis"><strong>Francis James Frenzel</strong></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?grant-cordell"><strong>Cordell Grant</strong></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?ibrahim-najmus"><strong>Najmus Ibrahim</strong></a></li> </ul> <p>Other 91Թ alumni on the shortlist include:</p> <ul> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?dickson-brendan">Brendan Craig Dickson&nbsp;</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?koehle-michael">Michael Koehle</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?marchetti-catherine">Catherine Marchetti</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?mariani-zen">Zen Mariani</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?sirek-adam">Adam Sirek</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?willoughby-eleanor">Eleanor Willoughby</a></strong></li> </ul> <p>Any alumnus or alumna picked for the program would be following in the footsteps of such 91Թ astronauts as<a href="/news/astronaut-julie-payette-toronto-science-festival"> alumna <strong>Julie Payette</strong></a> and 91Թ Misissauga alumna &nbsp;<a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/biobondar.asp"><strong>Roberta Bondar</strong></a>, who took the crest of Erindale College, as 91Թ MIssissauga used to be known,&nbsp;into space with her as the first Canadian woman astronaut.</p> <p>Persad’s dream of going to space began at the age of seven&nbsp;and his pursuit of it <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/engineering-grad-watch-astronaut-hire-aaron-persad/">accelerated at 91Թ Engineering</a>. During his undergraduate studies, he completed his Professional Experience Year internship at the CSA, including a flight in a Falcon-20 jet where he got experience the sensation of free-fall for the first time.</p> <p>“It felt fantastic. I remember my legs had the tendency to float up toward my chest.&nbsp;I had to consciously keep them down,” said Persad.</p> <p>Persad’s PhD research, supervised by Professor Emeritus <strong>Charles Ward</strong>, focused on solving a decades-old mystery about <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/water-behave-space-u-t-engineering-researchers-aim-solve-longstanding-mystery/">the behaviour of water in microgravity</a>, specifically the shape it takes within a closed container. The seemingly simple question has important implications for life-support systems in space.</p> <p>The project suffered a major setback when a SpaceX rocket meant to carry his experimental apparatus into orbit exploded in the summer of 2015. Undeterred, Persad created a new apparatus in time for the next launch in the summer of 2016. Last week, NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robert-S-Kimbrough/135188716512256">Robert S. Kimbrough</a> performed the experiment aboard the International Space Station.</p> <h3><a href="/news/when-spacex-rocket-blew-his-experiment-u-t-engineer-saw-it-facebook">Read more about Persad</a></h3> <p>Persad is standing by for the data downlink, which will include videos and high-resolution images of the microgravity experiment.</p> <p>Outside of his research, Persad has been <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/five-engineers-recognized-teaching-excellence/">recognized for his teaching excellence</a> and has led a number of educational initiatives, including a company that delivers robotics technology education to young children.</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="500" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OO2gpP8RlZ0" width="750"></iframe><br> <em>The above video, taken in November 2016, shows Persad bringing his experimental apparatus aboard a Falcon-20 jet to test it in free-fall conditions. Persad hopes&nbsp;to compare the behavior of water in jars from that&nbsp;experiment to those currently aboard the International Space Station&nbsp;(photo courtesy of Aaron Persad)</em></p> <p>This is Persad’s second attempt to become an astronaut, having applied during CSA’s previous round of recruitment in 2008, when he was a master’s student at 91Թ Engineering. Since then, Persad has greatly enhanced his technical expertise and aggressively pursued astronautics training through the non-profit organizations <a href="http://www.astronauts4hire.org/">Astronauts4Hire</a> and <a href="http://projectpossum.org/">Project PoSSUM</a>.</p> <p>“I used my previous evaluation as a checklist to prepare for a future call. For example, I was asked questions like ‘Do you have piloting experience?’ or ‘Have you ever taught a post-graduate engineering course?’” said Persad. “For the last eight years, I’ve been working hard to turn every ‘no’ into a ‘yes.’”</p> <p>A final decision from <a href="http://Read the Toronto Star story about Persad">the current round</a> is expected by June 2017.</p> <p>“I know my family and friends are cheering me on,” said Persad.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 02 Feb 2017 18:18:53 +0000 ullahnor 104263 at