NASA’s Crew-13 mission launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday, carrying two NASA astronauts, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut, and a Roscosmos cosmonaut on a six-month science mission to the International Space Station focusing on human health and performance in orbit.
Falcon 9 Liftoff and Orbital Insertion From Florida
The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida on Thursday carrying an autonomously operated Crew Dragon capsule named Grace. The 25-story-tall vehicle left the pad as its nine Merlin engines ignited in billowing plumes of vapor. Within three minutes of launch, the Falcon 9 reusable lower-stage booster separated from the vehicle and flew itself back to Earth for a return landing. Despite concerns regarding thunderstorms and gusty winds, the rocket soared northeast over the Atlantic Ocean.
The rocket’s upper stage released the Crew Dragon capsule into orbit, prompting SpaceX mission control in Hawthorne, California, to radio the crew: “Dragon separation confirmed. Jessica, Luke, Josh, Sergey, welcome to orbit.” The capsule began an eight-hour orbital transit to catch up with the space station, which orbits approximately 250 miles above Earth.
The Four Crew Members Aboard Crew Dragon Grace
Jessica Watkins commands the Crew-13 mission, making her second flight to space and becoming the first NASA astronaut to fly twice aboard a Crew Dragon. Watkins previously flew on the Crew-4 mission in 2022, logging 170 days in space, and holds the record for the most time in space by a Black woman. Pilot Luke Delaney, a naval aviator and former test pilot from DeBary, Florida, is making his first spaceflight. Delaney’s hometown high school declared Thursday “Luke Delaney Day” in honor of his flight.
Rounding out the four-member team are mission specialists Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency and Sergey Teteryatnikov of Roscosmos. Both Kutryk and Teteryatnikov are first-time spaceflyers. Kutryk is a former test and fighter pilot, while Teteryatnikov is an engineer specializing in submarine operations.
Apollo 13 Tribute on the Mission Patch
The crew incorporated historical elements into their mission patch as a nod to Apollo 13, an Apollo mission crippled by an explosion 55 hours after its 1970 launch. While the crew members are not superstitious, the design honors the ingenuity and perseverance required to return that crew safely to Earth. NASA’s Dana Weigel noted that the nod represents human capability when faced with dire circumstances.
The mission faced its own procedural hurdles prior to flight. A leak of oxidizer was detected on the Dragon capsule during processing in August, prompting NASA and SpaceX to postpone the launch from mid-September to conduct extensive troubleshooting.
Biomedical Research Aboard the Orbiting Laboratory
Upon docking, the Crew-13 arrivals will be welcomed by seven current occupants of the space station, including the four members of Crew-12, who will return to Earth soon after completing a mission lasting more than seven months. Crew-13 will spend roughly six months conducting station maintenance and participating in biomedical investigations.
Scientific objectives for the mission include studying how microgravity impacts blood circulation and clotting, investigating crop production to support long-duration spaceflight, running a stem cell investigation to better inform treatments for Parkinson’s disease, and testing new medical hardware for monitoring crew health.
Future Space Station Operations Through 2030
The International Space Station spans the length of a football field and ranks as the largest human-made object in space, with initial hardware launched more than a quarter-century ago. Operated by a consortium involving the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan, and 11 European countries, NASA remains committed to maintaining station operations through 2030.
