Crew-13 Arrives at Kennedy for Oct. 1 ISS Launch After Sept. 12 Delay

Q: After a valve replacement delayed Crew-13, what convinced NASA and SpaceX that Dragon Grace is finally ready to fly?

NASA and SpaceX appear satisfied that Dragon Grace is ready because the leaking oxidizer valve was replaced, the spacecraft then went through added testing and data review, and managers formally polled “go” at the Flight Readiness Review. The leak was discovered during prelaunch processing and forced Crew-13 off its original Sept. 12 target. NASA later said SpaceX changed out the affected valve in Grace’s propulsion system. That alone was not enough to clear the spacecraft: engineers also ran follow-up diagnostics and reviewed the results before resuming the countdown. The clearest public sign of confidence came Friday, when NASA, SpaceX, and international partners completed the Flight Readiness Review at Kennedy Space Center and agreed to continue toward launch. NASA described that review as a detailed assessment of the Dragon transportation system, mission operations, support functions, and the International Space Station’s readiness to receive the crew. There are still final milestones before liftoff, including a Falcon 9 static-fire engine test and a full launch-day rehearsal with the astronauts. But by keeping the Oct. 1 target in place after the valve replacement, extra testing, and formal readiness review, NASA and SpaceX signaled that the leak issue had been resolved to their satisfaction and that Grace is fit to fly.

3 articles · Updated · Spaceflight Now · Sep 26

Four Crew-13 astronauts reached Kennedy Space Center on Saturday for a rescheduled Oct. 1 launch to the International Space Station, with liftoff set no earlier than 11:10 a.m. EDT.
A Dragon oxidizer leak had pushed the mission off its original Sept. 12 date; NASA said SpaceX replaced a propulsion-system valve after detecting the problem during processing.
Jessica Watkins will command the flight and make her second trip to space, while Luke Delany, Joshua Kutryk and Sergey Teteryantnikov are each set for their first spaceflight.
Friday’s flight readiness review cleared the way for final prelaunch work, including a Falcon 9 engine test on Sunday and a full launch-day rehearsal on Tuesday.
The mission also carries national milestones: Delany returns to his home state of Florida for launch, and Kutryk becomes the second Canadian to fly in 2026 after Artemis 2 astronaut Jeremy Hansen.