Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk prepares for September ISS mission

Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk is preparing for a six-month mission to the International Space Station as part of NASA's SpaceX Crew 13 mission, set to launch September 12 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Kutryk, 44, grew up on a cattle farm in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, dreaming of space exploration but never expecting it would happen. He joins NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, plus Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. Watkins is returning to the station for her second mission.

The mission centers on Canadian-led studies examining how space travel and microgravity affect human health. According to Kutryk, the research could yield practical applications both for future space exploration and for advancing medicine on Earth. The studies will investigate how radiation and microgravity impact cardiovascular health and bone density—conditions that could eventually help develop treatments for heart disease and osteoporosis. Because the human body ages faster in space, researchers can study problems all humans eventually face, Kutryk explained.

Kutryk will bring robotics expertise to conduct maintenance work on the station, including operations on Canadarm2, the Canadian-made servicing system. He is the fourth Canadian to undertake a long-duration mission at the ISS.

Space educator Trevor Kjorlien noted that with NASA planning to decommission the station in 2030, Kutryk may be the last Canadian to live there—making the next six months a rare opportunity for Canadians to observe the station with a Canadian on board. Kutryk hopes the mission, following Artemis II's lunar flyby earlier this year, will inspire young Canadians to pursue careers in technical fields. "The future of space flight for Canada is very, very bright," he said.