From a cattle farm in Fort Saskatchewan to a SpaceX launch pad in Florida, Joshua Kutryk is now one of four astronauts assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew 13 mission.
Kutryk, 44, will join NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, on a six-month mission to the International Space Station. Watkins will be returning to the station for the second time.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the crew is expected to take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 12.
Growing up in Alberta, Kutryk said he dreamed of going to space, even if he did not think it would happen.
“There’s something really unique and really special about being involved as a Canadian,” said Kutryk. “There is something very special about Canada’s space program and how much we do with it.”
The crew will conduct experiments and maintenance work aboard the station. The mission includes Canadian-led studies on how space travel and microgravity can affect human health.
According to Kutryk, much of the Canadian-sponsored science could have practical applications for future space exploration. He added that some of the studies will also be able to advance medicine on Earth.
Kutryk said the experiments could help develop treatments for heart disease or osteoporosis because radiation and microgravity affect cardiovascular health and bone density. He added during a press briefing that medical studies can be efficient in space because the body ages faster in that environment.
“They’re using the space environment and my body as the sample case to study problems that all humans eventually encounter here on Earth,” Kutryk said.
Mathieu Caron, director of the astronauts’ office at the Canadian Space Agency, said space life sciences “has become a niche for Canada.”
The crew will also carry out maintenance on the station, including work involving the Canadian-made servicing system Canadarm2. Caron said Kutryk will bring his expertise in robotics on board.
Kutryk is the fourth Canadian to take part in a long-duration mission to the International Space Station.
Montreal-based space educator Trevor Kjorlien said Kutryk may be the last Canadian to live on the station, with NASA planning to decommission it in 2030.
“I think it’s a prime opportunity over the next six months after he launches for many Canadians to be able to see [the station], because it’ll probably be the last time they see it with a Canadian on board,” he said.
Kutryk said he hopes both the recent Artemis II and the future Crew 13 missions will inspire young Canadians in technical fields. He said Canada has been at the forefront of space exploration with NASA by taking part in both missions.
“I hope that when young people look at that, they realize that we’re at a truly defining moment,” he said. “The future of space flight for Canada is very, very bright if you choose it to be so. There are going to be a lot of opportunities for future Canadian astronauts, engineers, scientists , more than there was for me growing up.”
After years of physical and mental preparation, Kutryk and his crewmates said they are ready to take off in a few weeks.
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