Portland State University engineering professor Evan Thomas, Ph.D., was recently chosen by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) as one of 17 astronaut finalists out of an initial field of nearly 4,000 applicants.
The agency will choose only two astronauts from the final pool early this summer. Canada is recruiting astronauts as it prepares to participate with space agencies from around the world in future space missions.
“I'm honored to be among the finalists,” Thomas said. “Just to be considered among these other incredible people is humbling. We have fighter pilots, test pilots, engineers, scientists, combat doctors - all from diverse backgrounds sharing a common goal.”
Thomas (pictured right), an associate professor of mechanical engineering at PSU’s Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science and the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, heads a research lab that uses cellular and satellite-based sensor technology to improve clean water and sanitation in developing nations such as Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia Uganda, India and others.
“I wouldn't be here without Portland State,” he said. “The opportunities I've had in my career at PSU to develop a global health research program and a technology startup company with my colleagues and students has helped me advance along the astronaut selection process.”
Thomas, who was born in Montreal, worked as an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to build experience to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut.
He and other astronaut candidates have been undergoing rigorous, back-to-back physical and mental tests over the last 10 months to prepare to become Canada’s next astronauts.
“Really, the things they’re testing on are never what they appear to be. It’s all about how we react under pressure,” he told Canadian television. “Sometimes we’re dunked upside down in a wave pool. The next minute we’re fighting a fire or fighting a flood or working on an Etch-a-Sketch. We never know what comes next.”
If CSA chooses Thomas, he will move to Houston, where he and the other astronaut selected by the agency will train with American and European astronauts. They will undergo years of training before going into space.