3...2...1...MUN professor on short-list to blast off with Canadian Space Agency

John Jamieson really wants to go to the moon, and he just might get the chance.

The professor and Canada research chair in marine geology atMemorial University of Newfoundland is now one of 72 candidates left in the running, from a total of 3,772 people who appliedto the Canadian Space Agency's astronaut recruitment drive over the summer.

"I've always liked astronomy and I've always liked space, and I remember I didn't apply when they had the last call about 10 years ago, but I thought, 'Heck why not, let's just try this and see what happens,'" said Jamieson, who is from Edmonton, A.B., and has been living in St. John's for the past year.

Part of the application process involved completing an extensive questionnaire with specific questions about using robotics and working in remote environments and harsh conditions, all of which Jamieson has experienced in his own ocean-going research work.

Going to Mars, there's risk involved, and I like risk but only to a certain extent, and I think there's a lot of romance about the moon.- John Jamieson

He spent more than 100 days at sea last year on four different research trips, and uses deep-sea submersibles both human-occupied andremotely operated to study mineral deposits on the sea floor.

"I just found that, wow, I check a lot of these boxes, and that's what really started to get me excited about this, that you know, 'Hey maybe I actually have a lot of the qualities they're looking for.'"

So far, Jamieson has taken a series of logic and behavioural-based online tests, and completed a medical exam similar to those given to air force pilots.

Going down before up

He isn't allowed to talk about the next stage of the competition, but said he is preparing by doing something he doesn't really enjoy spending a lot of time in the pool.

"They have told us there are minimum requirements for your ability to swim, and swim underwater, a lot of the training is neutral buoyancy so it's in pools, so they really have to assess how comfortable you are in water and that sort of thing."

Jamiesonsaid hehas no idea what sort of mission thejob would entail, but he definitely has a preference.

"I want to go to the moon. Mars is too far and I like Earth a lot," he joked on CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show.

"You know going to Mars, there's risk involved, and I like risk but only to a certain extent, and I think there's a lot of romance about the moon too. On the other hand people have already been there, but I haven't, so."

Jamieson said the Canadian Space Agency will announce the two successful candidates in June.