Drew Feustel is an American astronaut who after joining NASA became a Canadian citizen. Recently he spoke with students at his alma mater, Queens University, where he received his PhD in 1995.
Feustel is currently on his third mission to space. In 2009 he was a crew member on the Space Shuttle STS-125 mission. In 2011 he was on the second to last Space Shuttle mission, STS-134. Now he’s a member of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 55-56 crew and will is stationed on the ISS for six months, returning to Earth in August.
Feustel went to Queens University for his PhD in part because his wife Indira was Canadian and wanted to return to her Eastern Ontario home. They lived there from 1991 until a job in the late 90’s brought him to Houston and eventually to NASA.
While in Kingston, Indira and Feustel had two children, Ari and Aden. His ties to Canada are very strong.
While on-orbit, he took the time to send his sympathy to families of the Humboldt Broncos tragedy.
To the families of those who lost their lives and to those who were injured in the Humboldt Broncos bus accident in Saskatchewan, we offer our condolences and support from @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/kCTdqmB0Nh
— A.J. (Drew) Feustel (@Astro_Feustel) April 11, 2018
Read more about his to strong ties to Kingston in his Queens University research biography. Below is the educational video he did recently with students at Queens. And below that, is NASA’s short video on Feustel prior to his launch to the ISS.