Sept. 1, 2026, 12:16 p.m. ET
- An oxidizer leak was discovered on the Dragon spacecraft’s propulsion system throughout prelaunch processing that delayed the launch of the Crew-13 mission to the Worldwide Area Station.
- The mission will process SpaceX with launching its Falcon 9 rocket to propel the Dragon spacecraft with 4 astronauts aboard to the ISS for a number of months.
- A brand new launch date for the Crew-13 mission has not but been introduced by NASA.
No astronauts have launched to space from U.S. soil since NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission in April.
That was as a consequence of change in mid-September with the beginning of a joint NASA and SpaceX mission known as Crew-13.
However now, the crew of 4 astronauts slated to hitch a trip from Florida to the International Space Station must wait only a bit longer.
The explanation why? Points encountered with the Dragon spacecraft chosen for the Crew-13 contingent to ride to the orbital outpost has prompted a delay, NASA has introduced.
When the mission gets off the ground, the astronauts will change into simply the third crew to achieve area in 2026 following a launch from the US. And the 2 NASA astronauts chosen for Crew-13 will change into the most recent Individuals to achieve the area station since NASA’s Anil Menon launched in July with two Russian cosmonauts from Kazakhstan.
Here is the most recent data on the Crew-13 mission, together with what we all know in regards to the delay.
NASA broadcasts delay to Crew-13 launch from Florida
NASA and SpaceX have delayed the launch of a mission often known as Crew-13 that can ship a brand new group of astronauts to the Worldwide Area Station, the U.S. area company announced Aug. 29.
The mission was focused to get off the bottom in mid-September earlier than an oxidizer leak was detected on the propulsion system of the Dragon spacecraft, chosen to move the astronauts to and dock on the orbital station. Groups encountered the difficulty throughout commonplace prelaunch processing of the capsule, in keeping with NASA.
Groups are reviewing information and conducting further assessments to make sure the spacecraft is ready for the journey. NASA has not introduced a brand new goal launch date for the mission.
What’s the Crew-13 mission? The place is the launch?
Contracted beneath NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the Crew-13 mission is the most recent that duties SpaceX with sending a contingent of astronauts to the Worldwide Area Station, the place they’ll dwell and work.
The astronauts are as a consequence of quarantine for 2 weeks previous to liftoff, which is able to happen at Area Launch Complicated 40 on the Cape Canaveral Area Power Station in Florida. The Dragon can be perched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which is able to provide the initial burst of thrust at liftoff to get the car and its crew into area.
For a number of months after their arrival, the astronauts will conduct scientific experiments meant for microgravity and keep area station operations, which doubtlessly consists of spacewalks.
Meet the subsequent group of astronauts headed to area
Here is a take a look at the 4 astronauts NASA selected for the Crew-13 mission:
- Jessica Watkins, a NASA astronaut who will function commander of the mission. A local of Colorado, Watkins is a geologist who can be making her second journey to area since being chosen as an astronaut in 2017.
- Luke Delaney, a NASA astronaut who would be the pilot. A local of Florida, Delaney is a naval aviator who can be making his first journey to area since being chosen as an astronaut in 2022.
- Joshua Kutryk, a Canadian Area Company astronaut who can be a mission specialist. Kutryk, a fighter pilot from Alberta, Canada, would be the first CSA astronaut chosen for NASA’s Industrial Crew Program.
- Sergey Teteryatnikov, a Roscosmos cosmonaut from Russia who’s the second mission specialist. Teteryatnikov is making his first journey to area.
What astronauts are on the Worldwide Area Station?
Seven astronauts who’re a part of Expedition 75 reside and dealing aboard the Worldwide Area Station.
The Crew-13 astronauts, although, are as a consequence of substitute the 4 members of the Crew-12 mission.
These 4 astronauts – NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, in addition to the European Area Company’s Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev – docked in mid-February on the orbital outpost and are as a consequence of depart just a few days after their replacements arrive to permit for a handover period. In a deviation from commonplace protocol, that mission’s Crew-11 predecessors had departed earlier than the brand new astronauts’ arrival as a consequence of an unprecedented medical evacuation.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon arrived in mid-July at the space station with Russians Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina on a Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft for an eight-month mission.
Eric Lagatta is the Area Join reporter for the USA TODAY Community. Attain him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
