LAKELAND – Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk will be speaking virtually at the St. Paul Recreation Centre Nov. 11 on Remembrance Day. Kutryk is no stranger to the Lakeland region, having lived in Elk Point when his father was situated in the community as an RCMP officer.
On Remembrance Day, Kutryk will make a virtual trip to St. Paul to speak about the past and the future, during the St. Paul Royal Canadian Legion’s (RCL) official ceremonies.
“I do want to talk, first and foremost, on remembering the past and to cherish the memories of those who fought for Canada’s legacy” throughout the nation’s history and more recently, said Kutryk, who himself was a colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
He will speak about the importance of freedom, along with talking about the “biggest” mistakes of humanity, like “fighting on Planet Earth,” which leads to hardship, pain, and agony.
To talk about the past is vital as humanity looks forward to collectively working for a better future, which Kutryk says will be a part of his speech. “[Space] for me is the future,” he adds.
Kutryk says he is optimistic and sees countries working together to harness the opportunities that exist in space, “instead of fighting against each other.”
“On a day like Nov. 11, it’s worth thinking about some of the mistakes we’ve made in the past as a group – as a planet – as all of us,” he says. “Expanding our collective horizon, exploring and discovering together, and building the future together in space.”
As an astronaut, Kutryk also says he is looking forward to the next couple of years of his career, explaining that the CSA is excited to work on two major projects with NASA.
The “most” exciting, according to Kutryk, is the launching of Artemis I mission stack on Nov. 14, which will consist of a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and an uncrewed Orion spacecraft. Then in 2024, he said a Canadian astronaut will be a part of Artemis II’s four-man crew.
According to information from CSA, Artemis II will be the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program. The Canadian astronaut who joins the crew will be the first non-American to fly to the moon and will make Canada the second nation to “travel around the moon.”
The CSA astronaut taking part is still unknown.
“The other thing that we’re also excited about is we’re still contributing as an active partner to the International Space Station (ISS),” he said. This involves doing research, development, innovation, and education at the ISS National Laboratory.
“The next couple of years are going to be pretty exciting for us, and we can’t wait to see it happen,” said Kutryk.
Kutryk concluded by thanking his colleagues, friends, family, and the Lakeland community. He said he is also thankful for the opportunity to speak on topics close to his heart and topics he believes are important to everyone.
