The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, announced that Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Colonel Joshua Kutryk has been assigned to NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
This will be Kutryk's first space mission. He will be the fourth CSA astronaut to participate in a long-duration ISS mission and the first to fly under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
Mission & Crew
Launch is scheduled no earlier than mid-September 2026 from Florida. Crewmates include:
- NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney
- Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov
On-Orbit Activities
During his mission, Kutryk will:
- Conduct international and Canadian science experiments, many focused on health-related research.
- Perform station maintenance and operations.
The ISS serves as a testbed for experiments related to living and working in space, directly supporting future lunar missions.
Canadian Leadership & Impact
Canadian participation in the ISS showcases expertise in space robotics and vision systems. Commercial spin-offs from this research include:
- Precision surgical tools
- Breast cancer detection
- Telesurgery
ISS research has also contributed to understanding balance problems, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disorders, and Type 2 diabetes.