Hot on the heels of the recent Artemis II mission around the moon involving Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, another Canadian has been selected for a space mission. NASA has unveiled Expedition 75, which will be the next crew to the International Space Station (ISS). The team includes Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, along with NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.
Kutryk, recruited in 2017 alongside Jenni Gibbons, who served as Hansen’s backup for Artemis II, expressed his honor to be part of Crew-13 and represent Canada on this upcoming mission. Kutryk emphasized the values of curiosity, adventure, innovation, and science in space exploration, highlighting the importance of collaboration for a better future.
In 2023, Kutryk was announced as the next Canadian astronaut to embark on a six-month mission to the ISS. Initially slated to fly on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule, the mission faced setbacks due to technical issues. Following challenges with Starliner’s uncrewed tests, particularly the failed crewed flight in June 2024, the decision was made for the newly announced crew to launch on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in mid-September.
Hailing from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Kutryk brings a background as a fighter pilot and operational test pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Since joining the Canadian Space Agency in 2017, Kutryk has been undergoing rigorous training in Houston alongside NASA.