A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully lifted off on a flight to the International Space Station carrying four astronauts, including a Canadian crew member whose wife is expecting their third child later this year. Strapped into a Crew Dragon capsule, Crew 13 commander Jessica Watkins, pilot Luke Delaney, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, and Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk blasted off from pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch had been delayed from mid-September to replace a valve in the propulsion system. Watkins previously flew to space in 2022, while her crewmates are space rookies. Kutryk and his wife are expecting their third child around Thanksgiving, marking a rare instance of a child being born while a parent is in orbit. Following a smooth ascent, the Falcon 9 first stage returned for a pinpoint landing at the Space Force station, and the capsule caught up with the ISS for an automated docking just eight hours after liftoff. The newly arrived crew will conduct extensive microgravity research, spacewalks, and station maintenance, joining ongoing science operations while preparing to take over from the departing Crew 12 team.
Source: cbsnews.com
