From the classrooms of the Royal Military College of Canada to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Colonel Joshua Kutryk’s journey reflects a lifetime of service, discipline and discovery. The RMC Class of 2004 graduate is preparing for his first spaceflight as a mission specialist aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station.
From RMC to the RCAF
Kutryk earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at RMC before building an exceptional career in the Royal Canadian Air Force. As a CF-18 fighter pilot with 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron, he flew missions supporting Canada’s NATO, United Nations and NORAD commitments, including deployments connected with operations in Libya and Afghanistan.
He later served as an experimental and operational test pilot, led flight-testing activities for Canadian fighter aircraft and instructed the next generation of CF-18 pilots. With more than 4,000 flying hours across over 40 aircraft types, Kutryk also holds master’s degrees in space studies, flight test engineering and defence studies.
A Canadian Astronaut
Selected by the Canadian Space Agency in 2017, Kutryk completed astronaut candidate training in 2020 and went on to serve as an operations officer in NASA’s Astronaut Office. He qualified as a capsule communicator for the International Space Station and contributed to the development, testing and certification of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft.
Next Stop: The International Space Station
Crew-13 is targeting October 1, 2026, at 11:10 a.m. ET as its earliest launch opportunity. Kutryk will travel aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule with NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The crew is expected to live and work aboard the Station for approximately six months, conducting scientific investigations, testing new technologies and supporting station operations.
The mission will make Kutryk the first Canadian Space Agency astronaut to fly through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and the fourth Canadian astronaut to take part in a long-duration mission aboard the ISS. For the RMC community, his achievement is a proud reminder of where education, leadership and service can lead.
As launch day approaches, the RMC Alumni Association joins alumni across Canada in wishing Colonel Joshua Kutryk and the entire Crew-13 team a safe launch and a successful mission. Learn how to follow the Crew-13 launch and take part in a watch party.
