NASA is preparing to launch SpaceX’s Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, aiming to send four astronauts into orbit. The launch is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with docking at the ISS expected around 7 p.m.
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The Crew-13 spacecraft will transport NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delany, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. Their mission includes conducting scientific experiments that will advance research and technology necessary for future moon and Mars missions, while also benefitting life on Earth.
The crew is tasked with conducting research related to treating heart disease and Parkinson’s disease through studies of human stem-cell-derived tissues, which could lead to advancements in medicine, disease modeling, and pharmaceutical testing, according to Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
They will also investigate crop production, important for sustaining longer-duration spaceflight missions, study blood-flow abnormalities observed in space, and test new medical diagnostic equipment for monitoring astronaut health.
This flight will represent the 13th crewed mission to the ISS as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Following liftoff, the spacecraft will achieve speeds of approximately 17,500 mph, with the astronauts managing maneuvers for an autonomous docking at the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module.
Upon docking, Crew-13 will conduct a brief handover with the returning Crew-12, who will then return to Earth aboard a Dragon spacecraft. Additionally, Crew-13 will support NASA’s SpaceX-35 commercial resupply mission this fall, along with the Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services-25 mission later in the year.