LONGUEUIL, Que.- Co-workers and special guests gathered at the Canadian Space Agency beamed with pride as astronaut Joshua Kutryk rocketed off to the International Space Station on Thursday. They applauded Canada’s latest entry into space in a year where the Maple Leaf has flown proudly out of this world. Kutryk is the second Canadian to travel to space this year after Jeremy Hansen’s trip with the Artemis II mission. Jean-Claude Piedboeuf, acting president of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), called it “an achievement for Canada.” Dozens of people packed into the space agency to watch SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule carrying Crew-13 launch into space from Cape Canaveral, Fla. It carried Kutryk, two American astronauts in Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, and Russiancosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. There was a glitch in the transmission of images to the Marc Garneau Conference Centre, which led to those in attendance to miss the first three seconds of flight, but that was followed by a celebration of the picture-perfect launch and the return of Falcon 9 to Earth. “They tell me I am in space, I don’t really believe it yet,” Kutryk said shortly after lift off. “It does feel weird, though. SpaceX, thank you for the ride. It feels good to be here.” This marks the first time a Canadian astronaut hitched a ride under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which led to the partnership with SpaceX for the launch. Mathieu Caron, director of astronauts, life sciences and space medicine at the CSA, said the country is venturing into new ground. “The ISS remains a powerful symbol of how collaboration and teamwork has remarkable benefits for Earth and for space,” said Caron at a post-launch news conference at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Kutryk to perform scientific experiments “The seven experiments from Canadian research teams all have to do with living and working in space in a microgravity experiment,” said Kumudu Jinadasa, CSA project engineer and mission manager. “These are addressing cardiovascular, spleen health, eye, bone and blood health. We have a Canadian exercise protocol that Josh will be conducting throughout the entire course of his mission.” Kutryk is the fourth Canadian astronaut assigned to a long-term stay aboard the ISS, an endeavour which comes six months after Hansen’s trip around the moon. “Super proud of him, super proud of Canada for putting us in this place where we have two Canadians fly to space in a single year,” said Hansen. “It’s pretty extraordinary.” Kutryk sent a message to the earthlings he loves just after venturing into space, telling his family he would miss them. His wife Heather will deliver their third child while he is on this out-of-this-world work trip. “Thank you for the support,” said Kutryk. “It’s time for Crew-13 to go to work.” Kutryk will also link up with Canadians via space-to-Earth communications during his mission, delivering moments designed to inspire the next generation of explorers.
