Astronaut candidate's profile
The candidates participating in the astronaut selection process all have unique journeys and outstanding qualities and skills. You can read their remarkable profiles here.
Persad, Aaron
Where were you born?
Saint Joseph, Trinidad and Tobago
Where do you currently live?
North York, Ontario, Canada
Education
- Bachelor's, biomedical engineering – University of Toronto
- Ph.D., thermodynamics – University of Toronto
Photo of the astronaut candidate during the aptitude tests. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)
What is your current job?
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Sinton Lab, University of Toronto - I am leading a research group that investigates how liquids and gases behave in tiny tubes called nanochannels. Such channels are a thousand times thinner than a strand of hair and can be found in packed sand deep underground. The sand contains fuels that are used to power cars, planes, and even rockets! I study how to separate the fuel from the sand without damaging the environment.
Why do you want to become an astronaut?
From the age of six, I wanted to be taller than my older sister. While watching the news one day, I learnt that astronauts grow up to two inches in space! Finally, I had discovered a way to be taller than my sister, and that was when I first wanted to become an astronaut. Later on with friends, I developed a love for adventure, discovery, and problem solving. Being an astronaut appealed to me since it combines all of these elements in a multidisciplinary approach, while adding the thrill of working in weightlessness with an incredible view of the Earth.
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