Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon crew spacecraft Grace, with NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, is now less than five minutes away. Everything is proceeding according to schedule, and all is looking good for the launch of NASA’s […]
Fuel loading is complete on the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, and liquid oxygen loading has begun. Everything remains on target for the scheduled 11:10 a.m. EDT launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Confirmation that the Dragon crew spacecraft is “go” for launch came through for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission. SpaceX had begun fueling the Falcon 9 rocket. Loading of rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) and first stage liquid oxygen loading is underway. Fueling of the second stage will begin in a few minutes. Teams continue to monitor weather at […]
The crew access arm has retracted, and the Dragon spacecraft’s launch escape system will be armed momentarily. This system allows NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 crew members to escape safely in the unlikely event of an anomaly from the moment the system is armed until the time they reach orbit – a timespan of roughly 12 minutes. […]
The SpaceX closeout team left the crew access arm, which will soon retract away from the Dragon spacecraft. Launch, set for 11:10 a.m. EDT, is now a little less than an hour away. Stay with us here on the blog as the countdown continues. We’ll keep you updated on the key milestones throughout this historic […]
For over 25 years, people have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies that help prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 crew members are set to join this long legacy, conducting science aboard the orbiting laboratory to advance research for […]
This will be the second flight to the space station for Jessica Watkins, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017. Watkins grew up in Lafayette, Colorado, and earned an undergraduate degree in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University in California, as well as a doctorate in geology from the University of California, […]
With communication checks complete, the hatch is closed on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft Grace. This is the spacecraft’s second flight to the International Space Station; it made its maiden flight in 2025 on Axiom Mission 4. Liftoff for Crew-13, including NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos […]
Teams have completed several milestones since the Crew-13 cadre entered the spacecraft, including conducting communication checks between Dragon and mission control, inspecting the crew’s spacesuits for any leaks, and rotating seats into a reclined position for launch. Once the “all clear” is given, the SpaceX pad support team will close Dragon’s side hatch. After liftoff […]
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 crew members now are boarding SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. Before entering the spacecraft, all four crewmates signed their names inside the White Room, the area at the end of the crew access arm that leads to the spacecraft. The term “White Room” dates back to NASA’s Gemini program, and to honor this human […]
