After the recent Artemis II mission featuring Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, another Canadian has been selected for a space expedition. NASA has revealed 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.
Joshua Kutryk, recruited in 2017 alongside Jenni Gibbons, expressed his honor in joining Crew-13 and representing Canada on this significant mission. Kutryk emphasized his belief that space exploration is fueled by curiosity, adventure, innovation, and science, with collaboration being the key element in creating opportunities and shaping a better future. He is dedicated to maximizing this unique opportunity.
In 2023, Kutryk was announced as the next Canadian astronaut to embark on a six-month mission to the ISS. Initially planned to fly on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule, Kutryk’s mission had to be reassigned to a SpaceX Crew Dragon due to ongoing issues faced by the Starliner. Boeing’s Starliner encountered setbacks during its uncrewed tests, including a failed docking attempt in December 2019 and challenges with thrusters during a crewed flight in June 2024.
With delays in the Starliner program, the new crew is set to launch on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in mid-September. Kutryk, a former fighter pilot and operational test pilot from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., has been training in Houston with NASA since joining the Canadian Space Agency in 2017.
