The wait is finally measured in months rather than years.
After years of preparation interrupted by the collapse of Boeing's Starliner program, Canadian astronaut Josh Kutryk has been assigned to SpaceX's Crew-13 mission, bound for the International Space Station no earlier than September 2026. His journey reflects something older than any single program: the way human ambition toward the cosmos is rarely linear, requiring patience, redirection, and the willingness to begin again. For Canada, the moment arrives alongside the return of Jeremy Hansen from lunar orbit, suggesting a country quietly deepening its place in the larger story of human spaceflight.
- Kutryk's original 2024 Starliner-1 assignment collapsed after Boeing's crewed test flight was classified as a Type A mishap — the most serious category of spaceflight incident — leaving him grounded and redirected for years.
- Rather than waiting idly, Kutryk absorbed ground roles as capcom for multiple ISS missions and even for the very Starliner flight that cancelled his seat, keeping his skills sharp while orbit remained out of reach.
- The reassignment to SpaceX Crew-13 now places him on a multinational team with NASA and Roscosmos crewmates, heading for a six-month stay across Expeditions 75 and 76.
- His flight will make him the first CSA astronaut aboard the ISS in eight years, arriving just weeks after fellow Canadian colonel Jeremy Hansen returned from the first crewed lunar flyby in half a century.
- With Canadarm3 anchoring deeper Artemis commitments and at least one more Canadian lunar flight expected, September 2026 marks not an endpoint but an acceleration of Canada's presence in human spaceflight.
Josh Kutryk has been waiting for this moment since 2023, when he was first assigned to a space mission only to watch it unravel as Boeing's Starliner program stumbled through compounding failures. Now, three years later, he has a new assignment: the International Space Station, aboard SpaceX's Crew-13, targeting launch no earlier than September 2026.
The announcement arrived less than two weeks after fellow CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen splashed down from Artemis 2 — the first crewed flight around the moon in more than fifty years. The proximity was striking. Within a single month, Canada had an astronaut return from lunar orbit and another assigned to a six-month station stay. Both men hold the rank of colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force, which marked its centennial on the same day Hansen launched.
Crew-13 will carry Kutryk alongside NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. Together they will serve during Expeditions 75 and 76, making Kutryk the first CSA astronaut to live aboard the ISS since David Saint-Jacques departed in 2019.
The path here was anything but clean. Kutryk's original Starliner-1 flight was derailed after the 2024 Crew Flight Test was classified as a Type A mishap. All assigned crew were eventually reassigned, and the program was sent back for further development. During those years, Kutryk served as capcom for multiple ISS missions — including the ascent phase of the very Starliner test that grounded him — and worked as operations officer for the NASA Astronaut Office. None of it was orbit, but none of it was wasted.
A military test pilot with over 4,000 flight hours across 40 aircraft types, Kutryk flew for NATO, NORAD, and the UN, and served in operations over Libya and Afghanistan. He narrowly missed the 2009 CSA astronaut selection before making the cut in 2017 and earning full certification in 2020.
Aboard the station, he will conduct science experiments including Canadian-led investigations into human health, alongside standard operational duties. The finer details of his schedule — spacewalks, robotics, cargo operations — will be worked out closer to launch. For now, September 2026 is the horizon, and for Kutryk, the wait is finally measured in months.
Josh Kutryk has been waiting a long time for this. The Canadian Space Agency astronaut was first assigned to a space mission back in 2023, only to watch that assignment dissolve as Boeing's Starliner program stumbled through one setback after another. Now, three years later, Kutryk has a new ride and a firm destination: the International Space Station, aboard SpaceX's Crew-13, no earlier than September 2026.
The announcement came on April 23, landing less than two weeks after fellow CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen splashed down from the Artemis 2 mission — the first crewed flight around the moon in more than half a century. The timing was not lost on anyone paying attention to Canada's space program. In the span of a single month, the country had an astronaut return from lunar orbit and another assigned to a six-month stay on the station. For the Royal Canadian Air Force, which celebrated its centennial on April 1 — the same day Hansen launched — the moment carried extra weight. Both Hansen and Kutryk hold the rank of colonel.
Crew-13 will be a multinational affair. Alongside Kutryk, the mission includes NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. Together they will serve aboard the station as part of Expeditions 75 and 76, a roughly six-month rotation that will make Kutryk the first CSA astronaut to live on the ISS since David Saint-Jacques completed his stay in 2019.
The road here was not straightforward. Kutryk was originally slated to fly on Boeing's Starliner-1 mission, which was expected to launch in 2024 — a timeline that would have fit neatly within the CSA's roughly six-year cadence for ISS flights. Instead, Starliner's troubles compounded. Two uncrewed test flights ran into difficulties, and the crewed Crew Flight Test in 2024 was classified as a Type A mishap, the most serious category of spaceflight incident. All crew members assigned to Starliner-1 were eventually reassigned, and the program was sent back for further development, including a planned third uncrewed test before any crewed flights resume.
For Kutryk, the reassignment meant years of preparation redirected, ground roles absorbed, and patience tested. He served as a capsule communicator — capcom — for multiple ISS missions and for the ascent phase of the very Crew Flight Test that grounded his original assignment. He also worked as operations officer for the NASA Astronaut Office and spent time as a test subject and flight control team member for Starliner. None of it was wasted, but none of it was orbit.
"I am honoured to be a part of Crew-13 and represent Canada on this mission," Kutryk said in a CSA statement. He spoke of curiosity, adventure, and science, but landed on collaboration as the thing that mattered most — the force that creates opportunity and, in his words, builds a better future. He added that he was committed to making the most of what he called a unique opportunity.
The specifics of what he will do aboard the station remain deliberately vague at this stage. Detailed schedules for ISS crews — covering spacewalks, robotic operations, cargo ship arrivals and departures — are not finalized until close to launch and shift constantly once a mission is underway. For now, the CSA has said Kutryk will conduct science experiments, including Canadian-led investigations focused on human health, alongside standard maintenance and operational duties.
Kutryk brings a formidable background to the assignment. A military test pilot with more than 4,000 flight hours logged across 40 different aircraft types, he has flown missions for NATO, NORAD, and the United Nations, and served in conflict operations in both Libya and Afghanistan. He narrowly missed selection in the 2008-09 CSA astronaut class — finishing in the final four when only two candidates were chosen — before making the cut in the 2017 selection. He was fully certified as an astronaut in 2020.
Canada's access to the ISS flows through its robotics contributions, chiefly Canadarm2, which accounts for roughly 2.3 percent of the station's overall capability. The country's deeper investment in the Artemis program — anchored by the next-generation Canadarm3 — has already yielded Hansen's lunar mission and backed backup astronaut Jenni Gibbons, who served as capsule communicator during Artemis 2. At least one more Canadian Artemis flight is expected under current agreements. September 2026 is still months away, but for Kutryk, the wait is finally measured in months rather than years.
Notable Quotes
Space is driven by curiosity, adventure, innovation, and science — but above all, collaboration. I'm committed to making the most of this unique opportunity.— Josh Kutryk, CSA astronaut, in an agency statement
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that Kutryk is the first CSA astronaut on the ISS in eight years? Is that gap unusual?
It's longer than the norm. Canada typically rotates an astronaut to the station roughly every six years under the international partnership. The Starliner delays pushed that window out further than anyone planned.
What actually went wrong with Starliner that caused all this?
Boeing's program had a rough stretch — two uncrewed tests with problems, then a crewed flight test in 2024 that was classified as a Type A mishap, the most serious category. That's not a paperwork designation. It means something went significantly wrong.
Kutryk spent years doing ground work during all this. What does that actually look like for an astronaut?
He was capcom — the voice between mission control and crews in orbit — for multiple ISS missions and for the ascent of the very flight that grounded his own assignment. He was also a test subject for Starliner. You're supporting other people's missions while your own keeps slipping.
Is there something particular about the timing of this announcement, coming right after Artemis 2?
Canada had an astronaut return from lunar orbit on April 10 and announced an ISS assignment on April 23. For a space agency that operates on a relatively modest budget, that's a remarkable two weeks. The RCAF centennial running through all of it adds another layer.
Both Hansen and Kutryk are RCAF colonels. Is that a coincidence?
Not entirely. Canada's astronaut corps has historically drawn heavily from its military test pilot community. The skills transfer — high-stakes decision-making, systems knowledge, operating in unforgiving environments. Kutryk has over 4,000 hours across 40 aircraft types.
What's the connection between Canadarm and Canada getting these flight opportunities?
That's the currency. Canada contributes robotics — Canadarm2 on the ISS, and the next-generation Canadarm3 for the lunar Gateway — and in exchange gets crew seats. It's a barter system built into the international partnership agreements.
What should we actually watch for between now and September 2026?
Whether the launch date holds, for one. ISS schedules shift. And whether Starliner's third uncrewed test changes anything about the broader crew rotation picture. Kutryk is on SpaceX now, but Boeing's program isn't finished — it's just paused.