SpaceX Crew Launch to International Space Station
By Joe Skipper and Steve Gorman
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida, Oct 1 (Reuters) – A SpaceX rocket successfully launched from Florida on Thursday, carrying a crew of two U.S. astronauts, a Canadian astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station (ISS) for an important science mission focused on human health and performance in orbit.
The Falcon 9 rocket, featuring a two-stage design and an autonomously operated Crew Dragon capsule, lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station along Florida’s Atlantic Coast. A live webcast captured the dynamic launch, showcasing the 25-story-tall spacecraft as it launched, with its nine Merlin engines roaring to life amidst billowing plumes of vapor.
If all proceeds as expected, the Falcon 9’s reusable lower-stage booster will detach from the rest of the rocket within three minutes, returning to Earth for a landing, while the upper stage continues to elevate the Crew Dragon into orbit.
The capsule is anticipated to reach orbit about nine minutes post-launch, embarking on an eight-hour journey to dock at the ISS approximately 250 miles (420 km) above Earth, with docking planned for around 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT).
This mission marks NASA’s 13th long-duration crewed flight aboard a SpaceX vehicle since the company, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, began sending U.S. astronauts into space in May 2020. SpaceX also recently made headlines with the launch of its next-generation Starship spacecraft.
Crew 13 Composition
The crew is led by geologist-turned-astronaut Jessica Watkins, 38, who is flying to space for the second time and is the first NASA astronaut to complete two missions aboard Crew Dragon. Next to her is fellow NASA astronaut Luke Delaney, 47, making his space debut, alongside Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, 44, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, 37, both first-time space travelers.
The new arrivals will join seven existing occupants at the ISS, including four crew members from Crew-12, who are preparing for their return to Earth after a seven-month mission.
Mission Focus
The Crew 13 mission will concentrate on various biomedical and human performance studies, exploring how microgravity impacts blood circulation and clotting, and collecting health data to support future missions.
NASA has pledged to keep the ISS operational through 2030, as it continues to be a crucial collaborative platform among the U.S., Russia, Canada, Japan, and numerous European nations, marking over 25 years of continuous operation since the launch of its initial hardware.
(Reporting by Joe Skipper in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Will Dunham)
