After a successful NASA Artemis 2, a historic mission, which included Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, now another Canadian has been selected for a new space mission.
NASA announced Expedition 75, the next crew to the International Space Station (ISS). Along with Kutryk, the crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.
Following his selection, Kutryk expressed pride in representing his country on the mission, stating, "I am honoured to be a part of Crew-13 and represent Canada on this mission."
"To me, space is driven by curiosity, adventure, innovation, and science — but above all, collaboration. Collaboration that creates opportunity and builds a better future. I'm committed to making the most of this unique opportunity," Kutryk added.
In 2023, Kutryk was announced as the next Canadian to fly to the ISS on a six-month mission.
Joshua Kutryk was originally slated to travel on Boeing's CST-100 Starliner capsule. However, Starliner has faced ongoing problems.
A failed 2019 uncrewed test and further complications during a 2024 crewed mission resulted in NASA revising its plans.
As a result, the Expedition 75 crew will now travel aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which has become NASA’s primary transport system for ISS missions.
Notably, Joshua Kutryk was born in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., Kutryk, and worked in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a fighter pilot and operational test pilot.
Currently, Kutryk has been training in Houston with NASA after recruitment by CSA in 2017.
NASA’s new mission would mark a significant milestone for the Canadian Space Agency, as its consecutive achievements shows Canada’s role in human spaceflight.
