Canadian Astronaut Heads to Space as His Family Awaits Their Third Child

Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk has begun a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station, but while he carries out scientific work hundreds of kilometres above Earth, his family is preparing to welcome a new member.

Kutryk was one of four astronauts who launched toward the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon on October 1, 2026. The crew also includes NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, along with Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.

The spacecraft successfully reached the station after a journey of just under eight hours. NASA said the mission achieved the fastest launch-to-docking time for a U.S. spacecraft in the history of the International Space Station.

A mission with a very personal milestone waiting on Earth

For Kutryk, the six-month mission comes with an emotional challenge. His wife is expecting the couple’s third child while he is scheduled to remain in orbit.

That means one of the biggest family moments of his life will take place while he is working aboard the space station, separated from his family by hundreds of kilometres of Earth and the demands of a demanding scientific mission.

Kutryk, 44, is making his first trip to space. Before becoming an astronaut, he served as a fighter pilot and test pilot and later joined the Canadian Space Agency’s astronaut corps.

Four people, one international mission

The Crew-13 mission brings together astronauts from NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and Roscosmos. They will spend several months conducting scientific experiments and maintaining operations aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Commander Jessica Watkins is making her second journey to space and became the first NASA astronaut to fly twice aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft. Pilot Luke Delaney is making his first spaceflight, while Kutryk and Teteryatnikov are also making their spaceflight debuts.

The four astronauts joined an existing international crew aboard the station, continuing a long-running partnership in which people from different countries live and work together in orbit.

Life continues on Earth while the mission continues in space

For astronauts, a space mission is carefully planned months or even years in advance. But life on Earth does not stop while they are away.

For Kutryk’s family, the arrival of a new baby will be one of those moments. While he carries out his duties aboard the International Space Station, his wife and children will experience a major family milestone without him physically present.

When the Crew-13 mission eventually comes to an end, Kutryk will return to Earth having completed his first journey into space — and to a family that will have changed during his time away.

Sources: NASA, Reuters, CBS News.