Following the successful Artemis II mission, featuring Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, another Canadian has been selected for a space journey. NASA unveiled the crew for Expedition 75 to the International Space Station (ISS), which includes Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.
Kutryk, recruited in 2017 alongside Jenni Gibbons, expressed gratitude for being part of Crew-13 and representing Canada on this upcoming mission. He emphasized the values of curiosity, adventure, innovation, and collaboration in space exploration. Kutryk was confirmed to embark on a six-month mission to the ISS in 2023, initially planned to launch aboard Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule.
However, due to ongoing technical challenges faced by Starliner, the crew’s launch has been rescheduled to mid-September on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. Kutryk, a former Royal Canadian Air Force fighter and test pilot from Fort Saskatchewan, has been undergoing rigorous training with NASA in Houston since joining the Canadian Space Agency.
The setbacks with the Starliner program have caused delays in ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS. Despite a successful docking in May 2022, the crewed flight in June 2024 encountered significant thruster issues, leading to the astronauts being stranded on the station while the capsule safely returned to Earth.
The upcoming mission aims to overcome these challenges and fulfill the mission objectives. Kutryk’s dedication to the mission and his extensive experience in aviation and space exploration make him a valuable asset to the international crew preparing for their space journey.