Go Bold #22: The Bleeding Edge: Astronaut Joshua Kutryk shares his insight on the Artemis Program

We welcome back Colonel Joshua Kutryk, an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and former fighter pilot and test pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).We had the privilege to speak with Colonel Kutryk in Episode #3, so please check out that great discussion too!Our discussion for this episode focuses on the work that Colonel Kutryk is doing at NASA while living in Houston, Texas. Much of his time is focused on training for future missions to space, but he also assists with various NASA programs like those that involve the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.The majority of our discussion focuses on the upcoming Artemis I mission and the Artemis program, which marks a new era of lunar exploration after almost 50 years since end of the Apollo missions.In early September, NASA's Space Launch System rocket, known as SLS, and the Orion spacecraft which sits atop the SLS, are scheduled to launch for the first time as part of the Artemis I mission which will orbit the moon.September 3 will mark the second launch attempt for Artemis I. This uncrewed test flight will have three instrumented test mannequins, known as phantoms, in the Orion spacecraft.Following a successful Artemis I mission, an astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency will form part of the crew for the Artemis II mission, which will be the first crewed mission to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.That means that Canada will be the second nation in the history of mankind to have someone travel to the moon, which is incredibly exciting!Colonel Kutryk is kind to share his thoughts on the upcoming Artemis I mission, and he discusses the contributions and potential opportunities for Canadian industry in the space domain. This includes the Artemis program itself, the lunar Gateway, the Canadarm3, and lunar rovers.He also shares his thoughts on safety and security in space.We would like to thank Colonel Kutryk for his time and insight, and we look forward to the launch of Artemis I.Go Bold!----Prior to joining the Canadian Space Program, Colonel Kutryk worked as an experimental test pilot and a fighter pilot in Cold Lake, Alberta, where he led the unit responsible for the operational flight-testing of fighter aircraft in Canada. As the officer in charge of fighter evaluations, he was responsible for safely conducting the initial airborne evaluations of new technologies and systems on the CF-18. He worked with a team of aerospace engineers, analysts, aircraft technicians and program managers in order to make the CF-18 safer and more effective in its mission.Colonel Kutryk has worked on a variety of technical flight test projects, ranging from out-of-control flying to automated navigation and flight control systems to weapon guidance and control. In addition, he has worked extensively as an instructor, teaching other pilots how to fly the CF-18 on demanding missions.In 2012, Colonel Kutryk received the prestigious Liethen-Tittle Award from the United States Air Force for being their top test pilot graduate.From 2007 to 2011, Colonel Kutryk served as a CF-18 fighter pilot with 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron in Bagotville, Quebec. During that time he flew missions in support of NATO, UN and NORAD commitments around the world. He has been deployed in both Libya and Afghanistan.Colonel Kutryk was one of two recruits selected by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in July 2017 through the fourth Canadian astronaut recruitment campaign. Colonel Kutryk was one of the top 16 candidates (from over 5,350 hopefuls) during Canada's 2009 astronaut recruitment campaign. Due to his perseverance and dedication, he now finds himself in the Canadian Astronaut Corps.In July 2017, Colonel Kutryk relocated to Houston, Texas, to take the two-year Astronaut Candidate Training Program at the Johnson Space Center as a member of the 2017 NASA astronaut class.The program includes scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station (ISS) systems, simulated extravehicular activities (EVAs, or spacewalks), robotics, physiological training, flight training, language courses, and sea and wilderness survival training.Colonel Kutryk completed the two-year Astronaut Candidate Training Program and obtained the official title of astronaut in January 2020.