NASA and SpaceX ready to launch Crew-13 for ISS research and technology tests

On Oct. 1, a SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch the Dragon spacecraft Grace carrying NASA’s Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov to the International Space Station. Watkins, a geologist who previously flew on Crew-4, will serve as commander, while Delaney, a former naval test pilot, will be pilot. Kutryk and Teteryatnikov make their first spaceflights.

After docking with the forward port of the Harmony module, the quartet will join Expedition 75 and begin a series of studies aimed at treating heart disease, Parkinson’s, improving crop production for deep-space missions, and testing new health-monitoring equipment. The mission is the thirteenth SpaceX crew rotation and the Dragon’s second flight, following a private Axiom mission in 2025. Preparations include a static fire test, crew dress rehearsal and integration of the spacecraft with the launch vehicle. The crew will also welcome upcoming commercial resupply missions later in the year.