Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk shares photo of Vancouver from International Space Station

Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk shared a photograph of Vancouver taken from the International Space Station on Tuesday, October 13, showing the city in striking detail from orbit. Kutryk, a test pilot and colonel in the Canadian air force, entered the space station on October 1 as mission specialist for SpaceX Crew-13, assigned to approximately six months on the station as part of Expedition 75.

The image captures the Lower Mainland from the west, with BC Place visible as a bright white spot near the photo's centre and Canada Place showing as a white shape jutting into Burrard Inlet. Ski runs on the North Shore mountains, Vancouver International Airport, Kingsway, and the Second Narrows Bridge are all visible. Individual houses and towers are difficult to distinguish at that altitude.

Kutryk, born and raised on a cattle farm in eastern Alberta, holds three master's degrees and serves as an ambassador for Canadians interested in space. The Canadian Space Agency held a press conference with him on Tuesday. The City of Vancouver responded to the photo on Facebook with "Hello up there!"—a play on Kutryk's own greeting.

Kutryk is the first Canadian Space Agency astronaut on the ISS since 2019 and the fourth Canadian overall to serve on the station. He is also the first Canadian astronaut to be part of a SpaceX crew.