No astronauts have launched to space from U.S. soil since NASA's Artemis II lunar mission in April.
That was due to change in mid-September with the start of a joint NASA and SpaceX mission known as Crew-13.
But now, the crew of four astronauts slated to hitch a ride from Florida to the International Space Station will have to wait just a bit longer.
The reason why? Issues encountered with the Dragon spacecraft selected for the Crew-13 contingent to ride to the orbital outpost has prompted a delay, NASA has announced.
When the mission gets off the ground, the astronauts will become just the third crew to reach space in 2026 following a launch from the United States. And the two NASA astronauts selected for Crew-13 will become the latest Americans
to reach the space station since NASA's Anil Menon launched in July with two Russian cosmonauts from Kazakhstan.
Here's the latest information on the Crew-13 mission, including what we know about the delay.
NASA announces delay to Crew-13 launch from Florida
NASA and SpaceX have delayed the launch of a mission known as Crew-13 that will send a new group of astronauts to the International Space Station, the U.S. space agency announced Aug. 29.
The mission was targeted to get off the ground in mid-September before an oxidizer leak was detected on the propulsion system of the Dragon spacecraft, selected to transport the astronauts to and dock at the orbital station. Teams encountered the trouble during standard prelaunch processing of the capsule, according to NASA.
Teams are reviewing data and conducting additional tests to ensure the spacecraft is prepared for the journey. NASA has not announced a new target launch date for the mission.
What is the Crew-13 mission? Where is the launch?
Contracted under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, the Crew-13 mission is the latest that tasks SpaceX with sending a contingent of astronauts to the International Space Station, where they will live and work.
The astronauts are due to quarantine for two weeks prior to liftoff, which will take place at Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Dragon will be perched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which will provide the initial burst of thrust at liftoff to get the vehicle and its crew into space.
For several months after their arrival, the astronauts will conduct scientific experiments meant for microgravity and maintain space station operations, which potentially includes spacewalks.
Meet the next group of astronauts headed to space
Here's a look at the four astronauts NASA selected for the Crew-13 mission:
- Jessica Watkins, a NASA astronaut who will serve as commander of the mission. A native of Colorado, Watkins is a geologist who will be making her second trip to space since being selected as an astronaut in 2017.
- Luke Delaney, a NASA astronaut who will be the pilot. A native of Florida, Delaney is a naval aviator who will be making his first trip to space since being selected as an astronaut in 2022.
- Joshua Kutryk, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut who will be a mission specialist. Kutryk, a fighter pilot from Alberta, Canada, will be the first CSA astronaut selected for NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
- Sergey Teteryatnikov, a Roscosmos cosmonaut from Russia who is the second mission specialist. Teteryatnikov is making his first trip to space.
What astronauts are on the International Space Station?
Seven astronauts who are part of Expedition 75 are living and working aboard the International Space Station.
The Crew-13 astronauts, though, are due to replace the four members of the Crew-12 mission.
Those four astronauts – NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, as well as the European Space Agency's Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev – docked in mid-February at the orbital outpost and are due to depart a few days after their replacements arrive to allow for a handover period. In a deviation from standard protocol, that mission's Crew-11 predecessors had departed before the new astronauts' arrival due to an unprecedented medical evacuation.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon arrived in mid-July at the space station with Russians Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina on a Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft for an eight-month mission.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASA's next astronaut mission just got delayed. Here's what happened
