Astronauts on the Move! Crew-13 Arrives at the Launch Pad to Get Ready for Space
Quick Summary
Four astronauts from three different countries are heading to Florida today! They are getting ready to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on October 1. Their rocket is a SpaceX Falcon 9, and the mission is called Crew-13.
What Happened?
This afternoon, Saturday, September 26, the four members of NASA’s Crew-13 mission landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They flew in from Houston, Texas, where they spent the past two weeks in quarantine. Quarantine means staying away from crowds and germs — a bit like being in a very important bubble — so they stay healthy before launch.
The four crew members are:
- Jessica Watkins (NASA) — Commander. She has been to the ISS before.
- Luke Delaney (NASA) — Pilot. This is his first spaceflight.
- Joshua Kutryk (Canadian Space Agency) — Mission Specialist. He is the first Canadian to fly on the Commercial Crew Program.
- Sergey Teteryatnikov (Roscosmos, Russia) — Mission Specialist. Also flying for the first time.
Before they could head to Florida, the crew went through weeks of important training. They practiced inside a full-size copy of the ISS. They put on their spacesuits, climbed into the Dragon capsule, checked their communications, and made sure their suits didn’t leak air.
The launch is set for October 1, at 11:10 a.m. Eastern Time. After liftoff, the Dragon spacecraft will fly for about nine hours to reach the ISS. Docking is planned for that same evening.
The mission nearly launched on September 12, but engineers found a small leak in part of the rocket’s propulsion system. They fixed the problem and are now confident everything is ready.
Why Does It Matter?
Once they dock, the crew will join Expedition 75 aboard the ISS. They plan to spend about six months in space — roughly the same time it takes to finish an entire school year! They will run science experiments and help keep the station running 250 miles above Earth.
The ISS is about the size of an American football field. It has orbited Earth every 90 minutes for more than 25 years. This mission helps keep it staffed with people doing science that benefits everyone on the ground.
Big Words
- Quarantine — staying away from other people to avoid getting sick before an important event
- Commercial Crew Program — NASA’s partnership with private companies like SpaceX to carry astronauts to the ISS
- Propulsion system — the engine and fuel parts of a rocket that push it through space
- Expedition — a long journey or mission with a specific goal; ISS crews are named by expedition number
- Docking — when a spacecraft connects to the space station, like snapping two Lego bricks together in orbit
Fun Fact
Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency is the first Canadian astronaut to launch to space through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program — a big milestone for Canada!
Think About It
If you were going to spend six months on the ISS, what one item from home would you most want to bring with you — and why?
Sources
- NASA Commercial Crew Blog — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 Set for Saturday Arrival at NASA Kennedy (Sep 25, 2026)
- NASA Commercial Crew Blog — NASA, SpaceX Proceed Toward Crew-13 Launch (Sep 25, 2026)
- Houston Public Media — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 Quarantines Ahead of Oct. 1 Launch
- Starlust — NASA and SpaceX finally have a date for the Crew-13 mission
- NASA Space Station Blog — NASA, SpaceX Move to Final Crew-13 Prelaunch Prep for Oct. 1 Liftoff
- Wikipedia — SpaceX Crew-13