● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsLow impact2 neutral
SpaceX Launches Crew-13 Mission to ISS After Propulsion System Repair
Key points
- Four-person crew launched to ISS on Falcon 9 and Dragon.
- Launch from Cape Canaveral at 11:10 am EDT.
- Delay caused by a faulty valve in Dragon's propulsion system.
- Jessica Watkins commands the mission, first Black woman to do so.
- SpaceX launched its 13th crewed mission for NASA.
- Mission will last six months.
- Delay was three weeks.
- Thick clouds threatened to halt the countdown.
- Flight to ISS will be eight hours.
- Jessica Watkins is a geologist who worked with NASA's Mars rover Curiosity.
- Jessica Watkins is making her second trip to the space station.
- Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk, and Sergey Teteryatnikov are newcomers to space.
- Joshua Kutryk is a colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
- Sergey Teteryatnikov is a former cosmonaut.
Crew-13 Mission Successfully Launched
A four-person crew departed from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. The launch occurred at 11:10 am EDT (15:10 UTC) on Thursday, with the crew heading for a six-month expedition on the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft reached orbit nine minutes after liftoff and was scheduled to dock with the ISS on Thursday evening.
Propulsion System Repair Caused Delay
The mission, designated Crew-13, experienced a delay from its original mid-September schedule. This postponement was necessary to address a balky valve within the Dragon spacecraft's propulsion system. The repair involved a 'surgical intervention' to cut into a propellant line and replace the faulty component.
Mission Commander and Crew Members
Jessica Watkins, a geologist and astronaut, commands the Crew-13 mission, making her the first Black woman to command a spacecraft. Watkins is the only veteran astronaut on this mission, having spent 170 days in orbit in 2022. The crew also includes Pilot Luke Delaney, a Marine Corps veteran; Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, a former Royal Canadian Air Force pilot; and Sergey Teteryatnikov, a Russian cosmonaut and former naval engineer.
Updates
- SpaceX launched its 13th crewed mission for NASA.
- Mission will last six months.
- Delay was three weeks.
- Thick clouds threatened to halt the countdown.
- Flight to ISS will be eight hours.
- Jessica Watkins is a geologist who worked with NASA's Mars rover Curiosity.
- Jessica Watkins is making her second trip to the space station.
- Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk, and Sergey Teteryatnikov are newcomers to space.
- Joshua Kutryk is a colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
- Sergey Teteryatnikov is a former cosmonaut.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
SpaceX launched a four-person crew to the International Space Station (ISS) on a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. The launch was delayed to replace a faulty valve in the Dragon's propulsion system, requiring a surgical intervention to swap the component.
SpaceX successfully launched four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on its 13th crewed mission for NASA, following a three-week delay due to a capsule fuel system leak. The mission includes Jessica Watkins, the first Black woman to command a crew to orbit, and will last six months.