NASA said it will provide live coverage of prelaunch, launch and docking activities for its SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station, which is scheduled to lift off at 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 1, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Docking is planned for about 7 p.m. the same day.
Who is flying
According to the agency's media advisory, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov to the station for what NASA describes as a long-duration science mission.
Once aboard, NASA said the crew will conduct a brief handover with the agency's SpaceX Crew-12 mission, which is expected to begin its return to Earth no earlier than Monday, Oct. 5. NASA said it will share additional details on Crew-12's return after Crew-13 arrives.
A record-fast transit, NASA says
NASA said the planned 7-hour, 50-minute trip from launch to docking on Oct. 1 will be the fastest by a U.S. spacecraft in space station history.
Docking is targeted for the forward-facing port of the station's Harmony module at 7 p.m., with hatch opening followed by welcome remarks at 8:45 p.m. The agency cautioned that all times are estimates and could be adjusted based on real-time operations after launch.
Coverage schedule
A prelaunch news conference is set for 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, with participants including Dr. Lori Glaze, associate administrator of NASA's Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate; Dana Weigel, manager of the Low Earth Orbit Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center; Mathieu Caron of CSA; William Gerstenmaier, vice president of build and flight reliability at SpaceX; and launch weather officer Arlena Moses of the 45th Weather Squadron.
Launch coverage begins at 9:20 a.m. on Oct. 1, followed by a postlaunch news conference at 12:45 p.m. that NASA said will include NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. Arrival coverage begins at 5:20 p.m.
NASA said it will provide a live video feed of Space Launch Complex 40 approximately six hours before the planned liftoff, running uninterrupted until the prelaunch broadcast begins on NASA+ about two hours before launch. Launch audio will also be available on VHF frequency 146.940 MHz and UHF frequency 444.925 MHz in FM mode, heard within Brevard County.
Access and participation
The deadline for media accreditation for in-person coverage has passed, NASA said, and in-person events are only open to previously credentialed media.
Members of the public may register to attend the launch virtually. NASA said its virtual guest program for the mission includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.
What to do
- Watch live coverage online through NASA's streaming platforms listed at nasa.gov/live; launch coverage begins at 9:20 a.m. EDT on Oct. 1, and arrival coverage at 5:20 p.m.
- NASA says a live feed of Space Launch Complex 40 will be available at youtube.com/kscnewsroom starting about six hours before liftoff.
- Members of the public can register for NASA's virtual guest program for the mission.
- For dial-in numbers and passcodes for the news conferences, NASA says media should contact the Kennedy newsroom at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov no later than one hour before each conference.
- Follow the space station blog and the commercial crew blog for the most up-to-date operational information, NASA says.
Key facts and where they come from
- Crew-13 is scheduled to launch at 11:10 a.m. EDT on Oct. 1 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Crew‑13 is scheduled to launch at 11:10 a.m. EDT, Thursday, Oct. 1, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with docking planned for about 7 p.m.
- NASA says the 7-hour, 50-minute launch-to-docking trip will be the fastest by a U.S. spacecraft in space station history.
The planned 7-hour, 50-minute trip from launch to docking on Oct. 1 will be the fastest by a U.S. spacecraft in space station history.
- The crew comprises two NASA astronauts, one CSA astronaut and one Roscosmos cosmonaut.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov
- Docking is targeted for the forward-facing port of the Harmony module, with hatch opening at 8:45 p.m.
7 p.m.: Targeted docking to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module
- Crew-12 is expected to begin its return to Earth no earlier than Oct. 5.
the agency’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission, which is expected to begin its return to Earth no earlier than Monday, Oct. 5
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is listed as a participant in the 12:45 p.m. postlaunch news conference.
12:45 p.m.: Postlaunch news conference with the following participants: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
- Media accreditation for in-person launch coverage has closed.
The deadline for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch has passed.