Astronaut Kutryk describes life in space during live event from station

ST. JOHN'S · Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk said Monday he is having the time of his life aboard the International Space Station despite the challenges of sleeping, eating and brushing his teeth in microgravity. Kutryk beamed into a live video event at a science centre in St. John's, N.L., to answer questions from children and adults about his mission. The 44-year-old from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., has been living on the station for more than a month as part of NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission. He and his crewmates launched on Oct. 1 and are expected to remain in space for six months.

"The work is challenging, sometimes it’s tedious, but it is a lot of fun being in microgravity," Kutryk said. "It’s like when you were a child and you dreamt of flying. That’s your life up here." To demonstrate, he performed a backflip for the audience in eastern Newfoundland, who responded with applause and cheers. He told the crowd, which was mostly schoolchildren, that he prepared for the mission by learning to live and work with people in extreme conditions, including underwater training.

What is daily life like on the space station?

Kutryk described the International Space Station as fairly comfortable but said it has taken time to adjust to the food, which is mostly liquid. "You end up, in many cases, almost drinking it out of a bag," he said. "It’s hard to sometimes draw the same satisfaction out of the food as you might on Earth." In his spare time, he reads books on a Kindle or rides an exercise bike, just like he would at home. He added that there is a treadmill on the station to which astronauts can chain themselves for exercise. Sleeping and brushing teeth in space are also tough, he noted.

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What has Kutryk seen and done during his spacewalks?

The astronaut has conducted two spacewalks, exiting the station to perform maintenance work on its structure. Nosy Mag reported in October that Kutryk became the fifth Canadian to conduct a spacewalk, working to install new solar arrays. As he worked outside, the Earth appeared as a "giant globe of blue," spinning 400 kilometres away, he said. "Earth from space is just so stunningly beautiful," Kutryk said. "All you can think of when you look at it is this desire, this interest in trying to take care of it better, to look after it more."

How does the view of Earth affect him?

Kutryk said watching the planet from the blackness of space has given him a new urgency to care for it. After his first spacewalk in October, he described the view as overwhelming and said it made him feel small. During Monday's event, he reiterated that the perspective from orbit fosters a desire to protect the planet. He said he feels a new urgency to care for the Earth as he watches it from space. He also expressed hope that people would look to space exploration as an example of what can be accomplished when countries and people work together.

Kutryk and his fellow crew members are expected to be in space for six months in total, having begun their stay in early October. The mission is part of NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 flight. The astronaut told the audience he is nonetheless having a blast despite the difficulties of life in orbit. "I'm having the time of my life," Kutryk said. The event in St. John's allowed the public, particularly children, to ask questions about his adventures aboard the station where he has been living for more than a month.

With files from The Canadian Press, CityNews and The Globe and Mail