David Saint-Jacques says family is biggest priority ahead of space station mission

The first Canadian astronaut set to head to the International Space Station since Chris Hadfield is in the final stretch.

If all goes as planned, on Dec.20, David Saint-Jacques, along with NASA astronaut Anne McClain and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, will be on theway to the ISS as Expedition Crew 58/59.

The three-person crew is scheduled to launch aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

At a newsconference on Thursday afternoon, Saint-Jacques saidthe biggest part of his preparation as he gets ready to departis making sure his family is OK.He said he wants to make sure everything in his life is in order before he leaves to spend six months in what he called a "very far place."

The 48-year-old astronaut is the father of three children:two boys, aged seven and five, and a two-year-old girl.

Saint-Jacques added his space colleagues are also thinking of their families, with just over three months left before they leave.

"This is a huge opportunity, a huge privilege to do this on behalf of all Canadians, to leave planet Earth to golive on our spaceship," Saint-Jacques toldCBCNews in December.

During the six-month mission, Saint-Jacques will take part in roughly 250 research and technology experiments.

An engineer, astrophysicist and family doctor from Saint-Lambert, Que., he will be Canada's ninth astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency to head into space.

Saint-Jacques has some big shoes to fill.

In December 2012, Hadfieldlaunched to ISS, kicking off five months of sharing the experience by posting photos, tweeting and showing the public what living in space was really like. He became a worldwide celebrity and since retiring in 2013, he has continuedto do public outreach.

"Canadians have so many reasons to be proud of our contributions to our space program," Saint-Jacques said. "We are part of that club of nations that are pushing the boundaries of humanity."

Canada's next astronaut to walk in space

6 years ago

Duration 10:15

Canada's next astronaut to walk in space will be David Saint-Jacques, adding to the growing list of accolades for the Quebec City native. An engineer, physician and astrophysicist, Saint-Jacques also has his commercial pilot's license and speaks five languages. The National traveled to the Johnson Space Centre in Houston for an up close look at the making of an astronaut

With files from The Canadian Press