Nasa to launch four astronauts to space for six months: Who are they?
Four astronauts are preparing to begin a roughly six-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), where they will conduct scientific experiments, maintain the orbiting laboratory and support research aimed at future human missions to the Moon and Mars.
Nasa’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than 8:40 pm on Thursday, October 1, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The Crew-13 team comprises Nasa astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.
On Tuesday, September 29, the four-member crew completed a dry dress rehearsal at the launch site. They began the exercise at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center, where they put on their spacesuits and underwent air-leak checks before travelling to the launch pad. The Crew-13 mission will launch NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. (Photo: Nasa)
Once at Space Launch Complex 40, the astronauts entered their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, rehearsing the procedures they will follow on launch day.
Once they reach the ISS, the astronauts will take over from Nasa’s Crew-12 astronauts and begin a long-duration programme of science and station operations.
Their work will include conducting experiments in the unique microgravity environment of the space station. Scientists use the ISS to study how living organisms, materials and physical processes behave in space, with some experiments having applications for medicine, technology and future deep-space exploration.
The crew will also be responsible for routine maintenance aboard the station, monitoring its systems and supporting operations that keep the laboratory functioning. The Crew-13 will launch aboard the Dragon spacecraft. (Photo: SpaceX)
Crew-13 will initially work alongside Crew-12, allowing the incoming astronauts to familiarise themselves with ongoing experiments, station systems and maintenance activities. This handover is designed to ensure that research and station operations continue smoothly.
After the transition, Crew-12 members, which includes Nasa astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, will return to Earth aboard their SpaceX spacecraft, pending weather conditions.WHY THE MISSION MATTERS
The ISS has been continuously occupied for more than 25 years, serving as a laboratory for research that cannot be replicated easily on Earth. The station also provides a testbed for technologies and operational procedures needed for longer human missions.
Crew-13 is part of Nasa’s Commercial Crew Programme, which uses partnerships with private companies to transport astronauts to and from low Earth orbit.
For Thursday’s launch, the US Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron has forecast a 60% chance of favourable weather. The main weather concerns are the cumulus cloud rule and the possibility of flight through precipitation.
If conditions remain favourable, Crew-13 will begin its journey to the space station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, starting another six-month chapter of continuous human research and operations in low Earth orbit.- Ends
