> Canonical: https://atalk.tv/2026/09/nasa-spacex-crew13-flight-readiness-review-oct1/ > Static machine-readable Markdown representation of the canonical Atalk.TV page. BREAKING | Technology · US ATALK.TV GLOBAL NEWS Sep 25, 2026 · Updated ◎ # NASA and SpaceX Begin Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review for an Oct. 1 Launch Target NASA says managers and international partners are meeting at Kennedy Space Center to review Crew-13 readiness while the mission continues toward an earliest launch opportunity of October 1; the review is a gate, not yet a final confirmation of liftoff. i One-line takeaway NASA and SpaceX managers, together with international partners, began the Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review on September 25 at Kennedy Space Center. By [Leo](/author/leo/) Published Sep 25, 2026 Updated Sep 25, 2026 Technology ATALK.TV NEWS EXPLAINED A complete report built from traceable sources Atalk.TV topic visual · the original social graphic remains available in the report visual module ## 1What happened NASA said on September 25 that the Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review is under way at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The review brings NASA and SpaceX managers together with international partners to examine whether the crew, Dragon spacecraft, Falcon 9 rocket, launch site and International Space Station are ready to support the mission. This is an important milestone, but it should not be reported as a completed… ## 2Why it matters - •Crew rotation missions are part of the infrastructure that keeps a continuously occupied research laboratory operating.… - •NASA is targeting 11:10 a.m. EDT on October 1 as the earliest launch opportunity from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape… - •The next high-value update is the result of the Flight Readiness Review and any formal statement about whether teams are… ## Event timeline - NASA and SpaceX managers, together with international partners, began the Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review on September 25 at Kennedy Space Center. - EDT on October 1 as the earliest launch opportunity from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. - NASA said on September 25 that the Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review is under way at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. - NASA’s September 22 update lists 11:10 a.m. - EDT on Thursday, October 1 as the earliest launch opportunity. ## What to watch next - The next high-value update is the result of the Flight Readiness Review and any formal… - NASA previously said the Crew-13 astronauts would travel to Kennedy on September 26… - If the mission remains on schedule, launch-day evidence will include the final go… - Atalk.TV will update this same story as those milestones are confirmed instead of… ## Sources - [NASA — Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review underway](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/commercialcrew/2026/09/25/nasas-spacex-crew-13-flight-readiness-review-underway/)primary government · Sep 25, 2026 - [NASA — Crew-13 final prelaunch preparation for Oct. 1 target](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/09/22/nasa-spacex-move-to-final-crew-13-prelaunch-prep-for-oct-1-liftoff/)primary government · Sep 22, 2026 - [NASA — Human health investigations planned for Crew-13](https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasa-to-study-human-health-performance-during-crew-13-mission/)primary government · Sep 24, 2026 ## ◷ 60-second read - NASA is targeting 11:10 a.m. EDT on October 1 as the earliest launch opportunity from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. - The crew is NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. - NASA says the mission will support human-health and performance research on the International Space Station, but the launch date remains subject to the outcome of readiness work and normal operational constraints. ## Related reading [NASA’s Roman Telescope Is in Commissioning — Ground Stations Are Ready for the Data Surge](/2026/08/nasa-roman-telescope-august-30-launch-target/)[ISS Antenna Repair Moves to a Second Spacewalk on August 25 — Why Canadarm2 Still Matters](/2026/08/iss-august-18-spacewalk-antenna-robotics/)[The August 12 Total Solar Eclipse Is Over — What NASA Was Studying Along the Path](/2026/08/august-12-total-solar-eclipse-nasa-science-after-event/) ## Complete report Background, mechanisms, consequences and uncertainty — beyond the dashboard. ## What changed today NASA said on September 25 that the Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review is under way at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The review brings NASA and SpaceX managers together with international partners to examine whether the crew, Dragon spacecraft, Falcon 9 rocket, launch site and International Space Station are ready to support the mission. This is an important milestone, but it should not be reported as a completed approval before NASA announces the review outcome. The current evidence is narrower: the formal readiness process has begun and the mission remains in final prelaunch preparation. That makes the review a decision gate between planning and an executable launch campaign. ## The current launch target and crew NASA’s September 22 update lists 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, October 1 as the earliest launch opportunity. The flight is planned to depart from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and reach the International Space Station less than nine hours later if the October 1 timeline holds. NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney are assigned as commander and pilot. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov are mission specialists. After docking, the Crew-13 members are expected to join Expedition 75. The date and docking timeline remain targets until readiness, weather, range and technical conditions support flight. ## What a flight readiness review is checking A flight readiness review is not a ceremonial meeting. It is a structured assessment of whether the mission’s major systems and organizations are prepared to proceed, including spacecraft configuration, launch-vehicle status, crew readiness, mission operations, station conditions and open technical work. Teams examine unresolved issues and decide whether remaining risks are understood and acceptable for the next phase. Because multiple organizations share responsibility for a commercial crew mission, the review also confirms that interfaces between NASA, SpaceX and international station partners are aligned. A positive review can clear the mission to continue toward launch, but later events such as weather or a new technical issue can still change the schedule. ## What Crew-13 is expected to do in orbit NASA says Crew-13 will support a new set of International Space Station research and operations after arrival. A September 24 agency overview highlights human-health and performance investigations, including work on blood flow and clotting, manual piloting performance, vision and brain changes associated with spaceflight, health monitoring and forces experienced during return to Earth. These experiments are intended to improve understanding of how people respond to long-duration missions and to inform future spacecraft procedures and exploration planning. The crew will also take part in the station’s broader science, maintenance and operational program as members of Expedition 75. ## Why it matters Crew rotation missions are part of the infrastructure that keeps a continuously occupied research laboratory operating. Their importance is broader than the launch itself: each mission transfers people, research capability and operational responsibility between expeditions while maintaining enough overlap for handovers on the station. Crew-13 also illustrates how human-spaceflight readiness is built from many layers rather than one launch vehicle. A safe mission depends on crew training, spacecraft and rocket status, ground systems, station configuration, weather, range support and coordination across several agencies. The readiness review matters because it is where those separate preparations are evaluated as one integrated flight system. ## What is still unconfirmed NASA’s September 25 notice says the Flight Readiness Review is under way; it does not by itself confirm that every issue has been closed or that the October 1 launch is final. The earliest launch opportunity can still move after the review because of technical work, weather, station operations or range conditions. Likewise, a planned docking time should not be treated as a completed event. Atalk.TV will keep those future milestones labeled as targets until NASA or another mission authority reports them as completed. This separation between confirmed status and scheduled status is especially important during the final days before a crewed launch, when plans can change quickly for routine safety reasons. ## What happens next The next high-value update is the result of the Flight Readiness Review and any formal statement about whether teams are proceeding toward the October 1 opportunity. NASA previously said the Crew-13 astronauts would travel to Kennedy on September 26 after quarantine at Johnson Space Center, so crew arrival, launch rehearsal, final vehicle work and weather briefings are also near-term checkpoints. If the mission remains on schedule, launch-day evidence will include the final go decisions, liftoff, Dragon orbit insertion, rendezvous and docking. Atalk.TV will update this same story as those milestones are confirmed instead of treating every prelaunch announcement as a separate event. [Space Science](/topic/space-science/)[NASA](/organization/nasa/)[SpaceX](/company/spacex/)[Kennedy Space Center](/place/kennedy-space-center/) ## Full source trail All linked evidence used by this report is preserved below; dashboard summaries are intentionally compact. - [NASA — Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review underway ↗](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/commercialcrew/2026/09/25/nasas-spacex-crew-13-flight-readiness-review-underway/)primary government · Sep 25, 2026 - [NASA — Crew-13 final prelaunch preparation for Oct. 1 target ↗](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/09/22/nasa-spacex-move-to-final-crew-13-prelaunch-prep-for-oct-1-liftoff/)primary government · Sep 22, 2026 - [NASA — Human health investigations planned for Crew-13 ↗](https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasa-to-study-human-health-performance-during-crew-13-mission/)primary government · Sep 24, 2026 In Brief Verification & source notes Claim-level evidence, quick answers and update history Direct answer ## What you need to know NASA and SpaceX managers, together with international partners, began the Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review on September 25 at Kennedy Space Center. NASA is targeting 11:10 a.m. EDT on October 1 as the earliest launch opportunity from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Answer engine summary ## Key facts - NASA and SpaceX managers, together with international partners, began the Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review on September 25 at Kennedy Space Center. - NASA is targeting 11:10 a.m. EDT on October 1 as the earliest launch opportunity from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. - The crew is NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. - NASA says the mission will support human-health and performance research on the International Space Station, but the launch date remains subject to the outcome of readiness work and normal operational constraints. As of: Sep 25, 2026 Freshness and uncertainty ## Current status: what is confirmed and what remains open ### Confirmed in the source-backed record - NASA and SpaceX managers, together with international partners, began the Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review on September 25 at Kennedy Space Center. - NASA is targeting 11:10 a.m. EDT on October 1 as the earliest launch opportunity from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. - The crew is NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. ### Limits, uncertainty and next signals - What happens next: The next high-value update is the result of the Flight Readiness Review and any formal statement about whether teams are proceeding toward the October 1 opportunity. NASA previously said the Crew-13 astronauts would travel to Kennedy on September 26 after quarantine at Johnson Space Center, so crew arrival, launch rehearsal, final vehicle work and weather briefings are also near-term checkpoints. If the mission remains on schedule, launch-day evidence will include the final go decisions, liftoff, Dragon orbit insertion, rendezvous and docking. Atalk.TV will update this same story as those milestones are confirmed instead of treating every prelaunch announcement as a separate event. Questions this article answers ## Quick answers ### What changed today? NASA said on September 25 that the Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review is under way at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The review brings NASA and SpaceX managers together with international partners to examine whether the crew, Dragon spacecraft, Falcon 9 rocket, launch site and International Space Station are ready to support the mission. This is an important milestone, but it should not be reported as a completed approval before NASA announces the review outcome. The current evidence is narrower: the formal readiness process has begun and the mission remains in final prelaunch preparation. That makes the review a decision gate between planning and an executable launch campaign. ### What should readers know about the current launch target and crew? NASA’s September 22 update lists 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, October 1 as the earliest launch opportunity. The flight is planned to depart from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and reach the International Space Station less than nine hours later if the October 1 timeline holds. NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney are assigned as commander and pilot. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov are mission specialists. After docking, the Crew-13 members are expected to join Expedition 75. The date and docking timeline remain targets until readiness, weather, range and technical conditions support flight. ### What a flight readiness review is checking? A flight readiness review is not a ceremonial meeting. It is a structured assessment of whether the mission’s major systems and organizations are prepared to proceed, including spacecraft configuration, launch-vehicle status, crew readiness, mission operations, station conditions and open technical work. Teams examine unresolved issues and decide whether remaining risks are understood and acceptable for the next phase. Because multiple organizations share responsibility for a commercial crew mission, the review also confirms that interfaces between NASA, SpaceX and international station partners are aligned. A positive review can clear the mission to continue toward launch, but later events such as weather or a new technical issue can still change the schedule. ### What Crew-13 is expected to do in orbit? NASA says Crew-13 will support a new set of International Space Station research and operations after arrival. A September 24 agency overview highlights human-health and performance investigations, including work on blood flow and clotting, manual piloting performance, vision and brain changes associated with spaceflight, health monitoring and forces experienced during return to Earth. These experiments are intended to improve understanding of how people respond to long-duration missions and to inform future spacecraft procedures and exploration planning. The crew will also take part in the station’s broader science, maintenance and operational program as members of Expedition 75. ### Why it matters? Crew rotation missions are part of the infrastructure that keeps a continuously occupied research laboratory operating. Their importance is broader than the launch itself: each mission transfers people, research capability and operational responsibility between expeditions while maintaining enough overlap for handovers on the station. Crew-13 also illustrates how human-spaceflight readiness is built from many layers rather than one launch vehicle. A safe mission depends on crew training, spacecraft and rocket status, ground systems, station configuration, weather, range support and coordination across several agencies. The readiness review matters because it is where those separate preparations are evaluated as one integrated flight system. ### What is still unconfirmed? NASA’s September 25 notice says the Flight Readiness Review is under way; it does not by itself confirm that every issue has been closed or that the October 1 launch is final. The earliest launch opportunity can still move after the review because of technical work, weather, station operations or range conditions. Likewise, a planned docking time should not be treated as a completed event. Atalk.TV will keep those future milestones labeled as targets until NASA or another mission authority reports them as completed. This separation between confirmed status and scheduled status is especially important during the final days before a crewed launch, when plans can change quickly for routine safety reasons. Durable URL history ## Update ledger - Sep 25, 2026PublishedInitial Atalk.TV publication. Claim-level evidence ## Claims and supporting sources Each claim below is tied to the article's verified source set. When the wording names a publisher, Atalk.TV narrows the evidence to that publisher's linked source; otherwise the verification basis or complete article source set is shown. ### NASA and SpaceX managers, together with international partners, began the Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review on September 25 at Kennedy Space Center. Evidence scope: publisher matched · Verified Sep 25, 2026 - [NASA — Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review underway](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/commercialcrew/2026/09/25/nasas-spacex-crew-13-flight-readiness-review-underway/) - [NASA — Crew-13 final prelaunch preparation for Oct. 1 target](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/09/22/nasa-spacex-move-to-final-crew-13-prelaunch-prep-for-oct-1-liftoff/) - [NASA — Human health investigations planned for Crew-13](https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasa-to-study-human-health-performance-during-crew-13-mission/) ### NASA is targeting 11:10 a.m. EDT on October 1 as the earliest launch opportunity from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Evidence scope: publisher matched · Verified Sep 25, 2026 - [NASA — Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review underway](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/commercialcrew/2026/09/25/nasas-spacex-crew-13-flight-readiness-review-underway/) - [NASA — Crew-13 final prelaunch preparation for Oct. 1 target](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/09/22/nasa-spacex-move-to-final-crew-13-prelaunch-prep-for-oct-1-liftoff/) - [NASA — Human health investigations planned for Crew-13](https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasa-to-study-human-health-performance-during-crew-13-mission/) ### The crew is NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. Evidence scope: publisher matched · Verified Sep 25, 2026 - [NASA — Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review underway](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/commercialcrew/2026/09/25/nasas-spacex-crew-13-flight-readiness-review-underway/) - [NASA — Crew-13 final prelaunch preparation for Oct. 1 target](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/09/22/nasa-spacex-move-to-final-crew-13-prelaunch-prep-for-oct-1-liftoff/) - [NASA — Human health investigations planned for Crew-13](https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasa-to-study-human-health-performance-during-crew-13-mission/) ### NASA says the mission will support human-health and performance research on the International Space Station, but the launch date remains subject to the outcome of readiness work and normal operational constraints. Evidence scope: publisher matched · Verified Sep 25, 2026 - [NASA — Crew-13 Flight Readiness Review underway](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/commercialcrew/2026/09/25/nasas-spacex-crew-13-flight-readiness-review-underway/) - [NASA — Crew-13 final prelaunch preparation for Oct. 1 target](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/09/22/nasa-spacex-move-to-final-crew-13-prelaunch-prep-for-oct-1-liftoff/) - [NASA — Human health investigations planned for Crew-13](https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasa-to-study-human-health-performance-during-crew-13-mission/)