Hot on the heels of the recent Artemis II mission, which saw Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s participation, another Canadian has been selected for a space mission. NASA has disclosed the Expedition 75 crew for the International Space Station (ISS), comprising Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, alongside 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 in joining Crew-13 and representing Canada on this mission. He emphasized the importance of collaboration in space exploration, highlighting curiosity, adventure, innovation, and science as key driving forces.
In 2023, Kutryk was designated as the next Canadian to embark on a six-month mission to the ISS. Initially planned to fly on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule, the spacecraft has encountered persistent issues. Its first uncrewed test in December 2019 faced failure due to various incidents, including a malfunction of its reaction-control thrusters.
Despite a successful docking in the second uncrewed test in May 2022, the subsequent crewed flight in June 2024 encountered significant problems with its thrusters, leading to astronauts Sunni Williams and Butch Wilmore remaining on the ISS while the capsule returned to Earth. Consequently, due to ongoing delays with Starliner, the upcoming crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon in mid-September.
Originally from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., Kutryk has a background as a fighter pilot and operational test pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Since joining the Canadian Space Agency in 2017, he has been undergoing training in Houston alongside NASA personnel.
