Joshua Kutryk | |
|---|---|
 Kutryk in 2017 | |
| Born | (1982-03-21)March 21, 1982 (age 43) Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada |
| Education | |
| Awards | Canadian Forces' Decoration (2012) |
| Space career | |
| CSA astronaut | |
| Selection | 2017 CSA Group NASA Group 22 (2017) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Years of service | 2007–present |
| Rank | Colonel |
Joshua KutrykCD (born March 21, 1982) is a Canadian astronaut, test pilot, fighter pilot and engineer. He was selected by theCanadian Space Agency (CSA) as one of the two members of the 2017 CSA Group alongsideJenni Sidey.[1][2][3]
Joshua Kutryk was born on March 21, 1982, inFort Saskatchewan, Alberta. His family moved frequently, living in Fort Saskatchewan, Elk Point and Whitehorse before his father retired from a career in theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police, at which time the family moved to a cattle farm nearBeauvallon, Alberta.[4] He attended St. John XXIII Catholic School.[5] His family emigrated to Canada fromUkraine in 1910.[6]
He graduated from theRoyal Military College of Canada in 2004 with a bachelor's degree inmechanical engineering.
He subsequently completed a master's degree in space studies atEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2009, a master's degree in flight test engineering at theAir University in 2012, and a master's degree indefence studies at theRoyal Military College of Canada in 2014. Joshua Kutryk is a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School in Edwards, California. He is also a graduate of the Canadian Forces College Joint Command and Staff Program.[7]
Prior to joining theCanadian Space Agency (CSA), Kutryk was an experimental test pilot and a fighter pilot in theRoyal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) inCold Lake, Alberta, where he led the unit responsible for flight-testing of fighter aircraft in Canada. He earned the rank oflieutenant-colonel. Kutryk was most notably responsible for the testing of new aircraft technologies on theCF-18 fighter jet. Kutryk served in combat deployments to bothLibya andAfghanistan during his time in the RCAF. He has accumulated over 4200 hours of flying experience across more than 40 types of aircraft.
In 2012, he received the Liethen-Title Award for the top test pilot graduate from theU.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. This award was also conferred to his fellow astronautChris Hadfield in 1988.[7]
Kutryk was selected by theCanadian Space Agency to undergo training as an astronaut as part of the2017 CSA Group, the fourth Canadian astronaut recruitment campaign. Kutryk and Dr.Jenni Sidey were selected among a large field of qualified candidates.
Kutryk had previously applied to become an astronaut in the2009 CSA selection, where astronautsDavid Saint-Jacques andJeremy Hansen were selected. Kutryk was shortlisted to undergo a yearlong testing program and ultimately found himself in the top 16 finalists of some 5,350 candidates. His perseverance in successfully applying again in 2017 is highlighted on the CSA website.[7]
As of July 2017, Kutryk has relocated toHouston,Texas, to start the two-yearNASA Astronaut Candidate Training Program at theJohnson Space Center. He is a member of the2017 NASA astronaut class.
In September 2019 Kutryk participated, as a Cavenaut,[8][9] in the trainingESA CAVES[10] organized by theEuropean Space Agency betweenItaly andSlovenia.
