NASA and SpaceX are preparing for their next major journey to orbit. The agencies are targeting 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 1, for the launch of the Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
If everything goes according to plan, the four-person crew will experience a rapid transit, docking with the station less than nine hours after lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A Express Route to the Orbiting Lab
Following launch, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will carry the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. Dragon will then perform a series of precise maneuvers to match the space station's altitude and trajectory before docking at the forward-facing port of the ISS Harmony module around 8:00 p.m. EDT.
The Harmony module serves as a central hub, providing crucial utility connections and docking ports for visiting spacecraft.
Meet the Crew-13 Team
The four spacefarers gearing up for the journey include:
- Jessica Watkins (NASA): Serving as Spacecraft Commander.
- Luke Delaney (NASA): Serving as Pilot.
- Joshua Kutryk (Canadian Space Agency): Mission Specialist.
- Sergey Teteryatnikov (Roscosmos): Mission Specialist.
Upon arrival, the crew will join Expedition 75 to conduct scientific research, maintain the station, and test new technologies during their long-duration stay.
Final Launch Preparations
The astronauts are currently in strict preflight quarantine at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to ensure they remain healthy before launch. They are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy Space Center as mission teams complete final readiness checks for the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.
