Fort Saskatchewan astronaut Joshua Kutryk launches to space station Sept. 12 for six-month mission

Joshua Kutryk, who grew up on a cattle farm in Fort Saskatchewan, will launch to the International Space Station on September 12 as part of NASA's SpaceX Crew 13 mission — a role the 44-year-old once only dreamed about.

Kutryk will join NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The crew will spend six months at the station conducting experiments and maintenance work, including operations on Canadarm2, the Canadian-made robotic arm.

The mission centres on Canadian-led studies examining how space travel and microgravity affect human health. Kutryk explained that much of the research could have practical applications on Earth. "They're using the space environment and my body as the sample case to study problems that all humans eventually encounter here on Earth," he said.

Experiments will explore how radiation and microgravity affect cardiovascular health and bone density — findings that could help develop treatments for heart disease and osteoporosis. The research is efficient in space because the human body ages faster in that environment, Kutryk noted.

Mathieu Caron, director of the astronauts' office at the Canadian Space Agency, said space life sciences "has become a niche for Canada." Kutryk's robotics expertise will be essential for maintaining station systems.

Kutryk is the fourth Canadian to participate in a long-duration mission to the International Space Station. Montreal-based space educator Trevor Kjorlien noted that with NASA planning to decommission the station in 2030, Kutryk may be the last Canadian to live aboard it. "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," Kjorlien said.

Kutryk said he hopes the mission inspires young Canadians in technical fields. "The future of space flight for Canada is very, very bright if you choose it to be so," he said. "There are going to be a lot of opportunities for future Canadian astronauts, engineers, scientists — more than there was for me growing up."