Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk is in 'high spirits' for Thursday's launch to the International Space Station | CBC News
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on Thursday with three crewmates. Conditions near Cape Canaveral, Florida, may include showers and thunderstorms.
NASA human spaceflight associate administrator Lorie Glaze said the crew members she spoke with were prepared to fly. NASA has also been assessing a possible issue aboard the station, previously reported by Ars Technica.
The six-month mission follows Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s journey around the moon on Artemis II. Canada’s contribution of the station’s mobile servicing system helped make its laboratory available to the country, the article notes.
Before launch, the crew will travel to the pad, take an elevator to their Crew Dragon spacecraft and complete final preparations. If the schedule holds, the trip to the station could take about eight hours, according to NASA’s Weigel.
Canadian Space Agency officials expressed confidence in Kutryk and hope the weather allows the launch to proceed. The crew’s next step is to fly Thursday, subject to conditions and launch readiness.
Key points
- Kutryk is set to launch Thursday with three crewmates for a six-month ISS mission.
- Showers and possible thunderstorms could affect launch conditions at Cape Canaveral.
- The planned Dragon journey to the station may take about eight hours.