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SpaceX Crew-13 Arrives in Florida for Upcoming ISS Mission
Confirmed
In Short: Four astronauts arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare for their upcoming mission to the International Space Station.
NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission, the 14th flight of the Dragon spacecraft with people, saw the arrival of the crew at Kennedy Space Center on Saturday.
The crew includes NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, who is commanding the mission and making her second trip to space.
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and NASA astronaut Luke Delaney flew in T-38 jets from NASA’s Johnson Space Center to the Launch and Landing Facility.
Watkins expressed gratitude for the teams that prepared them for the mission, noting it represents both the culmination of their training and the beginning of their journey.
Delaney, a Florida native, was particularly excited to return to his home state, having watched Space Shuttle launches as a child.
The crew will undergo a series of preparations, including an engine test of the Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday and a launch day rehearsal on Tuesday.
SpaceX and NASA are targeting an Oct. 1 launch for Crew-13, with liftoff no earlier than 11:10 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The mission is expected to last approximately six months, during which the crew will join Expedition 75 aboard the International Space Station.
The crew's arrival marks a significant milestone for the Canadian Space Agency, as it is a major moment for the agency.
Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron forecasts a 60% chance of favorable conditions for launch on Oct. 1.
What this adds
The mission was previously delayed due to an oxidizer leak in their Dragon spacecraft, which required repairs.
What's confirmed
- NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission, the 14th flight of the Dragon spacecraft with people, saw the arrival of the crew at Kennedy Space Center on Saturday.
- The crew includes NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, who is commanding the mission and making her second trip to space.
- Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and NASA astronaut Luke Delaney flew in T-38 jets from NASA’s Johnson Space Center to the Launch and Landing Facility.
- Watkins expressed gratitude for the teams that prepared them for the mission, noting it represents both the culmination of their training and the beginning of their journey.
- Delaney, a Florida native, was particularly excited to return to his home state, having watched Space Shuttle launches as a child.
- The crew will undergo a series of preparations, including an engine test of the Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday and a launch day rehearsal on Tuesday.
- SpaceX and NASA are targeting an Oct. 1 launch for Crew-13, with liftoff no earlier than 11:10 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- The mission is expected to last approximately six months, during which the crew will join Expedition 75 aboard the International Space Station.
- The crew's arrival marks a significant milestone for the Canadian Space Agency, as it is a major moment for the agency.
- Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron forecasts a 60% chance of favorable conditions for launch on Oct. 1.
What's still developing
- Read through the key milestones leading up to and through liftoff on the agency's SpaceX Crew-13 mission blog.
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- “Arriving here today for us as a crew represents both kind of the culmination and the beginning of a journey for us. We’ve been training together as a crew for over a year now, so it is the culmination of all of that work and effort, and we’re so grateful to the teams of experts around the world that have gotten us prepared and ready for this,” Watkins said.
- NASA announced the delay in an Aug. 29 Commercial Crew Program (CCP) blog post.
- “Coming here in Kennedy, coming back to Florida, it’s definitely near and dear to my heart. I did grow up pretty close to here. I got to watch Space Shuttle launches, and now I’m going to get to see it from a little bit different perspective, I think, in the coming days,” Delaney said.
- 12, but an oxidizer leak in their Dragon spacecraft, Grace, caused NASA and SpaceX to delay the mission while repairs were made.
- “So truly excited to be here, truly thankful for all the teams that have made it happen, and just a shout out to our aircraft operations folks today that got us the jets and everything together and made it work out a perfect flight over here today.” The mission is also a longtime coming for Kutryk and another big moment for CSA.
- Fla. – Four space travelers are preparing for departure to the International Space Station.
- She previously served as a mission specialist on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission, spending 170 days in space.
- Joshua Kutryk | Mission Specialist (Canadian Space Agency) A colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Kutryk is a seasoned fighter pilot and experimental test pilot with more than 4,000 hours of flying experience on more than 40 aircraft types.