Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk signals “okay” during an equipment test before launching to the International Space Station as part of Crew-13. The crew equipment interface test (CEIT) gives astronauts the opportunity to interact with the capsule, space suits, and equipment that will be used during the mission. (Credit: SpaceX)
A former Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake test pilot is preparing to take his career to new heights.
Colonel Joshua Kutryk, a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) colonel and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut, is scheduled to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission.
The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than September 12, 2026, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket inside a Crew Dragon capsule from Florida. Kutryk is expected to spend approximately six months aboard the ISS, where he will conduct scientific experiments and test new technologies.
Kutryk’s career with the Royal Canadian Air Force brought him to CFB Cold Lake, where he worked as an experimental test pilot primarily on the CF-18 in 2012 at the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment (AETE)
By 2015, he was an operational test pilot, leading the unit responsible for the operational flight-testing of fighter aircraft in Canada. He also worked as an instructor pilot on the CF-18, teaching Canada’s newest fighter pilots.
Born in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Kutryk was raised on a cattle farm in eastern Alberta. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and three master’s degrees in space studies, flight test engineering and defence studies. He has more than 4,000 hours of flying experience on more than 40 aircraft types.
In 2026, Kutryk was assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission. His upcoming flight will make him the first CSA astronaut to take part in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Kutryk is not the first former CFB Cold Lake member to reach the stars. Earlier this year, Colonel Jeremy Hansen made history as part of the Artemis II mission, completing a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon as the first Canadian to travel to the lunar vicinity.