NASA, SpaceX Continue Crew?13 Prep as Crew Enters Quarantine
The crew of NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission entered quarantine late Thursday at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Mission preparations continue as NASA and SpaceX target an early October launch to the International Space Station.
As part of routine prelaunch quarantine, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov will limit in‑person contact. Most interactions will occur remotely, and family members and selected mission-related personnel must undergo medical screening before meeting with the crew. This practice, begun during NASA's Apollo Program, reduces the risk of preflight illnesses and prevents symptoms from developing during flight.
Before quarantine, the crew completed preflight training at the SpaceX facility in Hawthorne, California, and performed a Crew Equipment Interface Test at the company's facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. During the daylong exercise, the crew members put on their spacesuits, entered the Dragon spacecraft, conducted suit leak checks, and verified good seat fit. They also familiarized themselves with the spacecraft's interior, completed communications checks, and listened to the Dragon's fans and pumps to prepare for sounds they will hear during flight.
Once aboard the orbiting laboratory, Crew-13 will join the space station's Expedition 75. During its mission, the crew will conduct a variety of science experiments aimed at advancing research and technology for missions to the Moon and Mars and improving life back on Earth.
Jason Costa
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