VanBommel came to Guelph 11 years ago to study physics. He chose the University of Guelph, not knowing at the time where his choice would take him.

“Coming from a small town, Guelph didn’t feel like a big city,” he said. “It felt like home, even though I had never been here.”

By his final year of high school, VanBommel said, he knew he wanted to study science, and Guelph’s program was structured such that he could narrow his focus to what kind of science after his first year.

“My two first-year physics teachers really drove home that physics was where I wanted to be,” he said, crediting professors Martin Williams and Joanne O’Meara.

“I was really drawn in by their energy and enthusiasm,” he said.

At the time, VanBommel still didn’t know that his future would involve working on space-based research.

Then he met his current academic adviser, Ralf Gellert.

Now he is part of a team working with an instrument on the Mars rovers, Opportunity and Curiosity. The instrument — called an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer or APXS — is an instrument on the rover arm that measures the composition of rocks on Mars.

Along with the team, VanBommel analyzes the data sent back from Mars.

This Mars rover connection was certainly one of the elements highlighted as VanBommel composed his application for the job of astronaut.

The essay required for the initial application is something he describes as “the most important essay I’ve ever written.”

“I used up all the time at my disposal to make sure I got it just right,” he said.

He also mentioned his background in athletics — VanBommel played Junior-B hockey both in Norwich and in Guelph and minded net for the Gryphons men’s varsity hockey team for the last two years of his undergrad and first two years of his master’s studies.

“It shows athletic aptitude,” he said. It also shows things like teamwork, time management, and a generally well-rounded background, he said.

These are all things that the space agency is looking for.

VanBommel also explained why he wants to be an astronaut; it’s a career he describes as one of lifelong learning, hard work and dedication. Pushing the boundaries of science, exploring and making new discoveries alongside like-minded people has vast appeal to him. And the possibility of maybe going to space just sweetens the deal.

“It’s something that many kids dream about, and some kids, like me, don’t grow out of that dream,” he said.

He knows even if he is chosen, the chances of going to space are still slim and dependent on many variables — including funding and political leadership.

CSA media relations representative Maya-Olivia Eyssen said the last two astronaut recruitment campaigns took place in 1992 and 2009. There were no secured flights for those new recruits, but the process was “necessary to augment the astronaut corps in anticipation of space flights,” she said.

The two astronauts selected in 2009 have yet to travel to space.

But Eyssen said space flight will be in the cards for this round of recruits.

“International partners are exploring options for space exploration beyond the ISS (International Space Station), and the government has instructed the CSA to formally negotiate the terms of Canada’s participation in the ISS with NASA and other partners, with a view to securing high-value contributions from Canadian industry,” Eyssen said in an email to the newspaper.

“Commercial space flight is thriving. We are confident that the next generation of Canadian astronauts will have flight opportunities,” she said.

Those selected to be astronauts still have at least a couple of years of training before they qualify for missions. The astronauts must learn Russian, some medical skills and even dentistry.

Following that training, there is lots to keep them busy on Earth — including communications with astronauts on the International Space Station, testing robotic procedures, developing spacewalk choreography, and educating young people about space.

Educating young people is another aspect of the job VanBommel has some experience with.

In his six years as a grad student, he has worked as a teaching assistant over many semesters. He also acts as a tour guide, showing members of the public the university’s observatory — a task he quite enjoys.

“Showing the rings of Saturn to someone for the first time — their reaction is priceless,” he said.

When VanBommel started studying physics at U of G, he didn’t expect to be doing the space-related work he is doing, partly because he didn’t know he could.

“I didn’t realize at the time the opportunities to pursue science-based research and education that is space-focused in Canada,” he said.

Now, even if he is not chosen as one of the lucky two to become an astronaut, he believes the journey will have been worthwhile.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” he said. “Regardless of what happens, I hope by sharing my story, I will inspire some young people.”