Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk is heading to the ISS next week - CBC

Open this photo in gallery:Canadian Astronaut Joshua Kutryk waves as he leaves the Operations and Checkout Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Thursday. John Raoux/The Associated PressThose who followed the news of Joshua Kutryk’s successful flight to the International Space Station this week can be forgiven for wondering if the Canadian astronaut stepped into a time machine rather than a space capsule. Col. Kutryk, who hails from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., was one of four astronauts who lifted off on Thursday morning from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and docked with the station later that night. Their arrival marks the start of a busy handoff period during which the population of the station will temporarily be at 11 – four of which will depart some time next week. With astronauts from the United States, Russia, France and Canada currently on board, the image of comity and diversity on the station is certainly what proponents had in mind when construction of the orbiting laboratory began in 1998.

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. NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission lifts off from Launch Complex 40 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 1, 2026, atop a Falcon 9 rocket booster. (NASA/Joel Kowsky)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. The launch is Kutryk's first, and he felt it. "I'm in space. I don't really believe it yet. It does feel weird, though," he said. "It's good to be here. "Joshua Kutryk, dressed in his white SpaceX spacesuit and helmet, holds up his hands displaying support for the Crew 13 mission. (SpaceX via Canadian Space Agency)DON'T MISS: Halley's Comet meteors flash across the sky in OctoberThis is a historic moment for Canada. It's the first time two Canadians have launched into space in such a short time. Jeremy Hansen launched as part of NASA's Artemis II mission for a trip around the moon only six months ago.

Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk says his first two weeks aboard the International Space Station have been unforgettable as he adjusts to life in microgravity and begins research into the effects of long-term space travel on the human body. “It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,” Kutryk said of looking back at Earth from the station. Growing up in northern Alberta, Kutryk was familiar with the northern lights, but he said seeing them from above offered an entirely different perspective.

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