In brief
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched Crew‑13 from Cape Canaveral, carrying a multinational team of astronauts and a Canadian astronaut whose wife is six weeks pregnant. The flight, delayed two weeks by a valve replacement, will insert the crew into the ISS in roughly 7¾ hours for experiments aimed at future Moon and Mars missions. The mission marks the fourth time a child is born while a parent is in space, adding a human touch to the technical achievement. The crew will conduct research on microgravity effects and booster technologies, while the launch provides a live view of the stages separating and the launch tower’s pillars firing.
SpaceX launches crew to ISS
The Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying SpaceX Crew‑13 to the International Space Station. The four‑person crew includes two NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut, and Canadian astronaut Dr. David Legge, whose wife is six weeks pregnant with their third child.
Crew‑13’s flight was delayed from its original September slot to replace a valve in the Crew Dragon’s propulsion system. The launch will take roughly 7 hours and 50 minutes, after which the vehicle will dock with the ISS for a two‑month stay.
During the mission, the crew will conduct experiments that will help shape future lunar and Martian missions, including tests of regenerative life‑support systems and micro‑gravity research. The Canadian astronaut’s pregnancy has drawn media attention, making the crew the fourth couple in space‑flight history to have a child born while one parent is off the planet.
The mission, backed by NASA and Roscosmos, showcases the growing collaboration between national space agencies and commercial launch providers in maintaining a continuous human presence aboard the ISS.
