Joshua Kutryk has launched to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from a launch site, with his crewmates including NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The launch occurred at 11:10 a.m., and docking is expected after about eight hours in space. This marks the first time two Canadians have launched into space within six months; Jeremy Hansen's previous launch was part of NASA’s Artemis II mission. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly highlighted Canada's growing role in international space exploration, emphasizing its contributions to robotics and potential lunar rover development.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Joshua Kutryk, a Canadian astronaut and former Royal Canadian Air Force colonel, launched into space from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday, October 5th, at 11:10 AM ET. Kutryk is part of the SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) alongside NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, as well as Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The launch was delayed due to a fuel system leak but ultimately proceeded successfully despite inclement weather conditions. Kutryk's former Grade 6 teacher Ted Hupé, now retired, watched the launch live from Canada. During their six-month mission aboard the ISS, the astronauts will conduct various scientific experiments focusing on human health and performance in space. Notably, Kutryk’s wife is expecting to give birth while he is away on his long-duration mission, marking him as the fourth Canadian astronaut to undertake such a prolonged stay at the ISS since 2004 when NASA established a radio link between astronauts and their families for significant life events. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket successfully carried the crew into orbit, with the reusable booster returning safely to Earth after separation. The Crew Dragon capsule docked with the ISS around 7 PM ET on Thursday, completing an approximately eight-hour journey from launch to docking.
Written for “SpaceX Launch To ISS” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 19 other(s) covering the same event.
Joshua Kutryk's launch to the ISS is another example of the important role Canada plays in space exploration
'It's been a big year, a big year for Canada,' says Industry Minister Mélanie Joly
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Joly → play → Canada
Canadian Joshua Kutryk is in space, on his way to the International Space Station (ISS) after a flawless launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off at 11:10 a.m., right on time.
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rocket → blast → time
He and his crewmates — NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov — are slated to dock with the ISS after roughly eight hours in space.
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The launch is Kutryk's first, and he felt it.
"I'm in space.
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I → feel → space
I don't really believe it yet.
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It does feel weird, though," he said.
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he → feel → ?
It's the first time two Canadians have launched into space in such a short time.
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Canadians → launch → time
Jeremy Hansen launched as part of NASA's Artemis II mission for a trip around the moon only six months ago.
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Hansen → launch → moon
Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly was at the NASA press site shortly after the launch and noted the important role Canada has played and can play in space.
"It's been a big year, a big year for Canada," she said.
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she → note → Canada
"And now we look forward to seeing how Josh Kutryk's work will continue to obviously participate in international efforts about space exploration and space co-operation, but also to inspire so many young Canadians and older ones that are very much fascinated by space.
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that → look → space
Undoubtedly, there have been tensions between Canada and the U.S., but not when it comes to space.
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it → come → space
While it's true that NASA has cancelled Lunar Gateway, which would have included Canadarm3, it wasn't due to any political strain between our two countries.
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Rather, it was a shift in mission priorities brought forth by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman.
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it → bring → Isaacman
Earlier this year, Isaacman announced that NASA was adding a mission to the Artemis Program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface by 2028.
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which → announce → 2028
And that resulted in the cancellation of the lunar space station and a focus on constructing a lunar base.
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that → result → base
Asked by the CBC at the post-launch news conference about Canada's collaboration with NASA in its future plans, Isaacman hinted that Canada could play a vital role in the future of a lunar base.
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"Canada has immense expertise in robotics, clearly, as demonstrated from the Canadarm performance from shuttle to the ISS," he said.
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he → have → ISS
"As the base becomes operational, it should almost be the last choice to send somebody outside in that very demanding and dangerous environment.
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it → become → environment
And you're going to need extensive robotic capabilities … and we're going to be counting on it as part of the architecture.
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we → go → architecture
It's not only robotics that Canada is looking to contribute, but also lunar rovers.
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In December 2025, the CSA awarded four Canadian organizations with contracts totalling $3.2 million for the development of a lunar utility rover that would be used for science, transportation and more to support astronauts on the lunar surface.
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that → award → surface
(Unfortunately, in March the CSA announced the cancellation of another, smaller rover that would have conducted scientific missions on the moon.)
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that → announce → moon
"We want to play a bigger part in everything linked to space exploration, but particularly with the moon," Joly said on Thursday.
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Joly → want → Thursday
Part of Isaacman's Artemis program restructuring included the speeding up of launches in the Artemis program.
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On Thursday, Joly said Canada is ready.
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Canada → say → Thursday
"We know that NASA wants to go further, faster," she said.
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she → know → ?
"We want to do more of that."
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We → want → that
The Aporia
