SpaceX Crew-13 Crew Arrives in Florida, Targeting October 1 Launch to International Space Station

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 26, the four crew members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, entering the final pre-launch preparation phase. Crew-13 is scheduled to launch no earlier than 11:10 a.m. EDT on October 1 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, bound for the International Space Station. The four members are NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.

For this mission, Jessica Watkins will serve as commander, Luke Delaney as pilot, and Joshua Kutryk and Sergey Teteryatnikov as mission specialists. Except for Watkins, the other three will be flying to space for the first time. The crew plans to stay aboard the International Space Station for approximately six months and join the current Expedition 75 long-duration crew.

Crew-13 was originally scheduled to launch on September 12, but was postponed after an oxidizer leak was detected in the propulsion system of the Dragon crew spacecraft "Grace" assigned to the mission. NASA and SpaceX subsequently replaced an oxidizer valve in the Dragon's propulsion system and completed the flight readiness review on September 25. Under the current plan, the Falcon 9 will undergo an engine test before launch, and the crew will also participate in a full launch day rehearsal on September 29.

After arriving at Kennedy Space Center, the Crew-13 members will continue quarantine procedures and complete spacesuit checks, equipment reviews, mission briefings, and other pre-flight operations. Following launch, the mission will conduct a short handover with Crew-12, which is currently aboard the space station. Crew-12 consists of NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and is scheduled to return to Earth after Crew-13 arrives.

The Crew-13 mission, using a SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft and Falcon 9 launch vehicle, is a new round of International Space Station crew rotation missions under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. NASA currently lists October 1 as the earliest launch date, with the final launch still contingent on the status of the rocket, spacecraft, and space station operations, as well as launch site weather conditions.