Joshua Kutryk CD (born March 21, 1982) is a Canadian astronaut, test pilot, fighter pilot and engineer. He was selected by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) as one of the two members of the 2017 CSA Group alongside Jenni Sidey.[1][2][3]
Joshua Kutryk | |
|---|---|
 Kutryk in 2017 | |
| Born | March 21, 1982 Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada |
| Education | |
| Awards | Canadian Forces' Decoration (2012) |
| Space career | |
| CSA astronaut | |
| Selection | CSA Group (2017) NASA Group 22 (2017) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Years of service | 2007–present |
| Rank | Colonel |
Early life and education
editJoshua Kutryk was born on March 21, 1982, in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. His family moved frequently, living in Fort Saskatchewan, Elk Point and Whitehorse before his father retired from a career in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, at which time the family moved to a cattle farm near Beauvallon, Alberta.[4] He attended St. John XXIII Catholic School.[5] His family emigrated to Canada from Ukraine in 1910.[6]
He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
He subsequently completed a master's degree in space studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2009, a master's degree in flight test engineering at the Air University in 2012, and a master's degree in defence studies at the Royal 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]
Career
editPrior to joining the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Kutryk was an experimental test pilot and a fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in Cold Lake, Alberta, where he led the unit responsible for flight-testing of fighter aircraft in Canada. He earned the rank of lieutenant-colonel. Kutryk was most notably responsible for the testing of new aircraft technologies on the CF-18 fighter jet. Kutryk served in combat deployments to both Libya and Afghanistan 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 the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. This award was also conferred to his fellow astronaut Chris Hadfield in 1988.[7]
CSA selection and astronaut career
editKutryk was selected by the Canadian Space Agency to undergo training as an astronaut as part of the 2017 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 the 2009 CSA selection, where astronauts David Saint-Jacques and Jeremy 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 to Houston, Texas, to start the two-year NASA Astronaut Candidate Training Program at the Johnson Space Center. He is a member of the 2017 NASA astronaut class.
In September 2019 Kutryk participated, as a Cavenaut,[8][9] in the training ESA CAVES[10] organized by the European Space Agency between Italy and Slovenia.
References
edit- ^ Semeniuk, Ivan (July 2, 2017). "Meet Jennifer Sidey and Joshua Kutryk, Canada's newest astronauts". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ "Exploring Space or the Ocean: Astronaut Joshua Kutryk takes position" (Press release). Canadian Space Agency. November 5, 2018.
- ^ Dunham, Jackie (July 1, 2017). "Jennifer Sidey and Josh Kutryk: Canada's two newest astronauts revealed". CTV News.
- ^ Romero, Diego (July 8, 2017). "From an Alberta farm to space: the journey of Joshua Kutryk". Edmonton. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- ^ Zdebiak, Brandon (March 20, 2023). "Fort Saskatchewan astronaut might be first Canadian on the Moon". FortSask Online. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- ^ "UCC Congratulates Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Kutryk on his selection as a Canadian Astronaut". Ukrainian Canadian Congress website. July 27, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Biography of Joshua Kutryk". Canadian Space Agency website. July 2017.
- ^ "Meet the cavenauts – Joshua Kutryk – Caves & pangaea blog". Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- ^ "Science beneath the surface – Caves & pangaea blog". Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- ^ Sauro, Francesco; De Waele, Jo; Payler, Samuel J.; Vattano, Marco; Sauro, Francesco Maria; Turchi, Leonardo; Bessone, Loredana (July 1, 2021). "Speleology as an analogue to space exploration: The ESA CAVES training programme". Acta Astronautica. 184: 150–166. Bibcode:2021AcAau.184..150S. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.04.003. hdl:11585/819077. ISSN 0094-5765. S2CID 234819922.
External links
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