Four astronauts are preparing to spend the next several months at theInternational Space Station following an imminent launch from Florida.
Two Americans, one Canadian and one Russian could be heading to their temporary cosmic digs as early as Thursday, Oct. 1, as part of a joint NASA and SpaceX mission known as Crew-13.
The journey will begin as a Falcon 9 rocket propels the astronauts to space, where they are due to ride a SpaceX Dragon capsule to the ISS. Once there, the crew will replace the outgoing Crew-12 mission for a long-duration stint conducting scientific experiments and maintaining the aging orbital outpost.
Here's a look at the astronauts selected for the Crew-13 mission.
launch sites
Commander Jessica Watkins, NASA
- Hometown: Born in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Watkins considers Lafayette, Colorado, her hometown.
- Age: 38
- Personal: A former international rugby player, Watkins enjoys other sports, as well as movies and writing.
- Background: Watkins holds a bachelor of science in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University, as well as a doctorate in geology from the University of California (UCLA) in Los Angeles. Prior to her selection as a NASA astronaut, Watkins was a member of the science team managing the Curiosity rover on Mars.
- Years as NASA astronaut: Watkins was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017.
- Spaceflight experience: Watkins previously spent 170 days in space during the Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station, which concluded Oct. 14, 2022.
Pilot Luke Delaney, NASA
- Hometown: Born in Miami, Florida, Delaney considers Debary, Florida to be his hometown.
- Age: 47
- Personal: Delaney is married with two daughters.
- Background: a retired major in the U.S. Marines, Delaney has logged 550 combat flight hours in Afghanistan. A distinguished naval aviator and test pilot, Delaney earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of North Florida (UNF) in 2006 and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2016.
- Years as NASA astronaut: Delaney was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021.
- Spaceflight experience: The Crew-13 mission will be Delaney's first spaceflight.
Mission specialist Joshua Kutryk, Canadian Space Agency
- Hometown: Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada
- Age: 44
- Personal: Kutryk was raised on a cattle farm in eastern Alberta. He enjoys backcountry skiing, cycling, mountaineering and paragliding.
- Background: Kutryk served as a fighter pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force, flying missions in support of Canada’s NATO, U.N., and North American Aerospace Defense Command commitments. He received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada, as well as a master's in space studies, a master's in flight test engineering and a master's in defense studies.
- Years as CSA astronaut: Selected by the Canadian Space Agency in 2017 to train as an astronaut.
- Spaceflight experience: The Crew-13 mission will be Kutryk's first spaceflight.
Mission specialist Sergey Teteryatnikov, Roscosmos
- Country: Russia
- Age: 38
- Background: Teteryatnikov graduated from the Naval Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2011 as an engineer specializing in ship power plant operations. Before his selection as a test cosmonaut, Teteryatnikov served in various naval engineering roles, including undersea vessels and specialized engine room operations.
- Years as Roscosmos cosmonaut: Teteryatnikov was selected for the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center Cosmonaut Corps in 2021 and has served as a test cosmonaut since 2023.
- Spaceflight experience: The Crew-13 mission will be Teteryatnikov's first spaceflight.
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: Meet the 4 Crew-13 astronauts about to call the space station home
