Olathe MacIntyre may have not made the cut to become one of the Canadian Space Agency's next astronauts, but she said she had a great time trying.
More than 3,700 people applied for the two coveted positions, and in August the space agency will name the successful candidates.
MacIntyre, who grew up in Bancroft, Ont., has a bachelor in biology from Dalhousie University, a master's degree in space sciences from the International Space University and a PhD in environmental sciences from Guelph University.
She currently teaches Science North's visitors about the cosmos at the centre's newly upgraded planetarium and various space exhibits, but said her entire career trajectory has focused on becoming an astronaut.
MacIntyre made it to the top 72 in the selection process, and in February, she went through a rigorous series of physical and mental tests along with the rest of the candidates.
“I've never been that closely scrutinized in my entire life,” she said. “I was definitely pushed to my limits in the assessment, both in my body and mind, and I learned a lot about myself through that process.”
MacIntyre said she had a “moment of sadness” when she learned Feb. 28 she hadn't made the cut. “But it really, honestly, has been about the journey for me,” she said.
In a way, she said she kind of feels she dodged a bullet in not becoming an astronaut, as it's a very demanding job that means you're away from your loved ones a lot.
While MacIntyre is out of the running, Northern Ontario still has a few candidates to root for.
One is Richard Federley, who's listed on the Canadian Space Agency's website as having been born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. (the chemistry instructor at the University of British Columbia currently lives in Kelowna, B.C., though).
The other is Kenora, Ont. native Jesse Zroback. His resume is certainly impressive — he has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Waterloo and is a 2012 graduate from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
Zroback, who did his residency in family medicine at Queen's University, is currently doing a locum for a doctor in Kenora, but previously, he'd practised for two years in Marathon.
“One of my friends sent me the listing right away when it was posted because he knew I was into space and I always wanted to be an astronaut,” said Zroback, who had a recent conversation with Sudbury.com.
Being an astronaut is “kind of like being a modern-day explorer to the extreme,” he said, adding that the two successful candidates could end up travelling to the International Space Station or even the moon or Mars.
With his engineering background, Zroback said he's interested in the technology aspect of space exploration.
Space technology has even gone on to be used in a medical context — surgical arms, for example, are inspired by the Canadarm.
While the assessments of the candidates have been intense, Zroback said he's enjoyed them.
“You're meeting all these people that have aspired to the same thing as you throughout your entire life, and they have remarkable qualifications, and they all have such great personalities,” he said.
“They're all professors or doctors, high-ranking military personnel or pilots.”
