NASA, SpaceX Clear Crew-13 for Oct. 1 ISS Launch With 4 Astronauts

Q: After a leak delayed Crew-13, what convinced NASA and SpaceX the Dragon Grace is finally ready to launch on Oct. 1?

NASA and SpaceX were satisfied that the problem which delayed Crew-13 had been identified, fixed, and successfully retested. The issue was traced to an oxidizer valve leak in Dragon Grace’s propulsion system, and NASA said the valve was replaced during prelaunch processing. What appears to have cleared the spacecraft for flight was the combination of engineering rework and formal readiness checks. NASA said joint teams completed additional testing, reviewed the data, and finished any necessary rework before setting a new launch date. By the time of the Launch Readiness Review, mission managers from NASA, SpaceX, and the international partners polled “go,” indicating they believed the spacecraft and rocket met safety and performance requirements. Other late milestones also supported that decision. Dragon Grace and its Falcon 9 were rolled to the pad, the integrated stack completed a static-fire test, and teams carried out detailed data reviews afterward. The crew also completed a full dry dress rehearsal, practicing launch-day boarding and countdown procedures. In short, NASA and SpaceX were convinced by a closed technical loop: the leak was traced to a faulty oxidizer valve, the valve was replaced, follow-up leak checks and system reviews showed the propulsion system was performing as expected, and the full mission hardware passed its final readiness reviews. That is what moved Crew-13 back to “go” for an Oct. 1 launch.

3 articles · Updated · NASA · Sep 30

Mission leaders polled “go” after completing the Launch Readiness Review, clearing Crew-13 to enter the countdown for liftoff no earlier than 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday.
Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 will host the launch, with a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.
NASA and SpaceX scheduled a 6 p.m. news conference with mission leadership, including NASA, CSA and SpaceX officials, after the review wrapped up.
Live launch coverage begins at 9:20 a.m. EDT on Oct. 1 as the mission heads to the International Space Station, extending the agencies’ commercial crew partnership with international participation.