There’s no other place in the universe like it.
And Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques — who has the rare experience of inhabiting the International Space Station — says the view from there is the true definition of the word “awesome.”
Global News had the chance to speak to Saint-Jacques on what is his 100th day in space.
He admits to being homesick, and missing his wife and three kids. But he knows he’s going home, and that gives him solace.
The trip, he says, has given him a new perspective on what home means and how precious our human existence is on Earth.
WATCH: David Saint-Jacques on life in space (December 2018)
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“Planet Earth is a beautiful gem. It’s kind of glowing blue, gracefully spinning, you can see the cloud patterns constantly evolving, the seasons, the day and night cycles and the moon orbiting. And it is so obvious it is the only planet around that’s alive, that supports life. And it makes me feel really so lucky, so blessed to have this incredible home in the cosmos.
“It makes one feel more responsible for Mother Earth. And it’s a lesson in humility that none of this belongs to us. We belong to it.”
He and the rest of the astronauts on the space station are pushing the boundaries of space travel every day. And they witnessed a milestone recently.
The International Space Station welcomed the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, the first privately-built space capsule capable of carrying humans. It docked at the space station on a test mission.
And it further pushed open the door to commercial space flight.
Saint-Jacques says he sees a bright future.
WATCH: David Saint-Jacques on his 100 days in space
“If I let my imagination run wild, I think space travel will be very common — just as common as taking a plane,” said Saint-Jacques. “It will never be easy, but that’s the nature of technology. We get used to doing incredible things like driving cars or using a cellphone. They become part of our lives, thanks to technology. Welcoming commercial entities into space flight, I think will help drive the prices down, and will help smooth out the technological aspects.”
He believes that space will do three important things for humans.
“It will help us take better care of Earth. And it will help us in our quest to understand the universe better.”
And the third part is just as important on Earth as it is in space.
“Space exploration is by nature an international endeavour. And I think it really helps bring humans together with a single focus. Because up here, it is obvious there are no boundaries.
“We’re just humans on a single spaceship — Spaceship Earth.”
WATCH: Can anyone just travel to space? (September 2018)
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