SpaceX is preparing to launch its Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, October 1, at 11:10 a.m. EDT (1510 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. A Falcon 9 rocket will carry four astronauts, including NASA's Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, as well as Canadian Astraunaut Joshua Kutryk and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. While the launch is scheduled for October 1, the time may shift due to weather or technical issues, with a current 60% chance of favorable conditions.
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The Crew-13 mission marks a six-month stay aboard the ISS under Expedition 75. NASA plans to provide live coverage of the launch starting at 9:20 a.m. EDT (1320 GMT) on their YouTube channel and other social media platforms, followed by a post-launch press conference at 12:45 p.m. EDT (1645 GMT).
Keys events leading up to the launch include a prelaunch briefing on September 30 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, featuring NASA and SpaceX officials, including Dr. Lori Glaze and William Gerstenmaier. Following the launch, NASA will initiate docking coverage at 5:20 p.m. EDT, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft expected to dock at the ISS by 7:00 p.m. EDT. The formal welcome ceremony for the Crew-13 astronauts will occur at approximately 8:45 p.m. EDT.
The Crew-13 astronauts have diverse backgrounds. Jessica Watkins, 38, will command the mission. She previously flew on the Crew-4 mission and is the first NASA astronaut to launch with SpaceX twice. Luke Delaney, 47, is a rookie making his first spaceflight after joining NASA's astronaut program in 2021. Joshua Kutryk, 44, is also a first-time flyer and serves as a colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces. Sergey Teteryatnikov, 37, is the youngest crew member and previously served in the Russian navy.
Should the launch on October 1 be delayed, the next attempt is set for October 2 at 10:47 a.m. EDT (1447 GMT), depending on the availability of launch windows.