SpaceX Crew-13 Mission Sends Four Astronauts and Cosmonaut to ISS

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission launched from Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft for a long-duration mission to the International Space Station. The crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. NASA said the Dragon spacecraft was scheduled to autonomously dock with the station’s Harmony module. The mission will support scientific research and station operations while providing experience relevant to NASA’s longer-term lunar and deep-space exploration plans.

NASA SpaceX Crew-13 launches to International Space Station with four astronauts

Four astronauts and cosmonauts blasted off to the International Space Station Saturday from Florida on the space agency’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission to begin a new science expedition in orbit.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission launched from Florida Thursday, October 1, carrying four astronauts and cosmonauts on a journey to the International Space Station for a long-duration science mission.

NASA said the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched at 11:10 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

On the Dragon spacecraft were NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency, and Sergey Teteryatnikov of Roscosmos.

NASA said the spacecraft was expected to autonomously dock with the station’s forward port on the Harmony module at about 7 p.m. EDT. 

The agency said the mission could be the fastest launch-to-docking time for a U.S. spacecraft in the history of the International Space Station.

Crew-13 begins another commercial crew mission

“Crew-13 is another example of the United States’ human-spaceflight capability and its commercial partnerships,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

“Watkins, Delaney, Kutryk and Teteryatnikov will be doing important work aboard the station supporting capabilities needed for future lunar and deep-space missions,” Isaacman said.

“Regular commercial crew launches support continued human presence in Earth orbit,” said Dr. Lori Glaze, associate administrator of NASA’s Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate. 

Missions to the International Space Station also feed into NASA’s larger goals for space exploration by providing operational experience and aiding research for future missions, Glaze said.

SpaceX planned to track the automated Dragon manoeuvres from its mission control centre in Hawthorne, Calif., during the roughly seven hours and 50 minutes of the flight.

NASA was watching station operations from Mission Control at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston during the spacecraft's trip to orbit.

NASA’s live coverage of the arrival began at 5:20 p.m. EDT and included coverage of the rendezvous, docking, and subsequent opening of Dragon’s hatch.

International Space Station research remains central

After docking, the crew members were to take off their spacesuits, ready cargo for offloading, and open the Harmony module hatch at about 8:45 p.m.

NASA planned to live stream the arrival of Crew-13 on several platforms, with live viewing details available through its official live coverage service.

Delaney, Kutryk and Teteryatnikov will be joining Expedition 75, which is currently flying with NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission is scheduled to return to Earth with Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot and Andrey Fedyaev after a short handover period.

Crew-12 is made up of NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

The Crew-13 research program also involves the production of human stem-cell-derived tissues in microgravity to support personalised medicine, disease modelling and pharmaceutical testing.

The mission will also investigate crop cultivation with a largely autonomous plant-growing system and study plant development outside of dedicated growing facilities.

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Crew-13 will support human-health research

Astronauts will continue to study factors related to blood-flow abnormalities in microgravity, and test a new in-flight diagnostic device.

The device is intended to help monitor the health of astronauts while on missions, and other experiments will study biological responses to the station’s unique microgravity environment.

The mission is part of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit program that works with private companies to provide reliable access to space and sustain research on the station.

The program also supports standard low Earth orbit, while helping NASA develop technologies and operational experience for missions beyond Earth orbit.

The launch of Crew-13 is another milestone in the continuing partnership between NASA, SpaceX, and international space agencies for Sprouts News.

While Crew-13 settles in at the International Space Station, their research and operations are expected to help NASA’s longer-term exploration goals.

So the mission is a mix of regular commercial crew transportation and scientific investigations that will help inform medicine, agriculture, astronaut health, and future human exploration.

NASA and its international partners will continue to monitor the crew’s activities during Crew-13’s planned research program aboard the orbiting laboratory.