Canadian Astronaut Joshua Kutryk Assigned to NASA’s Crew-13 Mission to the International Space Station This Fall

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk has been assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station, marking his first spaceflight and making him the fourth CSA astronaut to undertake a long-duration mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.

The assignment was announced by the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, on April 25, 2026. Kutryk will launch no earlier than mid-September 2026 from Florida alongside NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.

This mission represents the 13th crew rotation flight with SpaceX to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Kutryk, an engineer and former test and fighter pilot, was recruited as a CSA astronaut in 2017 and completed his basic training in 2020.

During his months-long stay on the station, Kutryk will conduct several international and Canadian science experiments, with a focus on health-related research and space station maintenance and operations activities. The Canadian Space Agency emphasized that such research is essential as humanity prepares to return to the Moon, noting that the space station serves as a unique testbed for understanding what is required to live, learn and work in the space environment.

Kutryk’s assignment follows his previous training for the Starliner-1 mission, which NASA later reconfigured as an uncrewed cargo flight. He becomes the eighth Canadian Space Agency astronaut to fly to the International Space Station overall.