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NASA and SpaceX have delayed the planned launch of the Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station after engineers detected an oxidizer leak in the propulsion system of the mission’s Dragon spacecraft.
The issue was identified during routine spacecraft processing ahead of the launch. Oxidizer is a chemical that enables fuel to burn in a rocket or spacecraft propulsion system and is essential for manoeuvring in space.
NASA and SpaceX teams are conducting additional tests and reviewing spacecraft data to determine the cause of the leak. Any necessary repairs or other work will be completed before Dragon is cleared for flight. NASA has not yet announced a new target launch date.
Four astronauts to join Expedition 75
Crew-13 will be commanded by NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, with fellow NASA astronaut Luke Delaney serving as pilot.
They will be joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov as mission specialists.
After reaching the space station, the four astronauts will join Expedition 75, the long-duration crew responsible for scientific research, maintenance and other operations aboard the orbiting laboratory.
About two weeks before launch, the Crew-13 astronauts will enter quarantine at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to reduce the risk of illness before their journey to space.
Crew-13 to fly on Falcon 9
Once cleared for launch, Crew-13 will travel aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which is designed to transport astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit.
Dragon will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
NASA and SpaceX will announce a new launch date after completing the required testing, data reviews and any necessary work on the spacecraft.
