Two distinct launch missions are preparing to rendezvous with the International Space Station

Space · Published 8 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: From the Kazakh steppes to the Florida coast, the orbital outpost is preparing for two different arrivals. While one crew prepares for a brief ten-day visit, another is set to launch a much longer-term mission, each bringing unique scientific objectives and specialized hardware to the station.

The upcoming orbital schedule features two separate arrival sequences. In Kazakhstan, at the Baikonur Cosmodrom, a crew consisting of Roscosmos Commander Sergei Volkov, ESA's Andreas Mogensen, and Kazcosmos's Aidyn Aimbetov recently completed final fit checks in their Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft. This crew is scheduled to launch on September 2, Kazakh time. The mission durations vary significantly: while Volkov is slated for a six-month stay, Mogensen and Aimbetov are only scheduled to remain aboard the station for ten days.

Simultaneously, NASA is preparing for the arrival of SpaceX Crew-13. Scheduled for Thursday, 1 October, this flight departs Florida's Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, alongside Joshua Kutryk of the CSA and Sergey Teteryatnikov of Roscosmos. They will travel aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket, with a planned docking to the Harmony module’s forward port at approximately 7 p.m. EDT.

The station's current Expedition 75 crew is actively preparing for these arrivals through rigorous science and maintenance. Station commander Jessica Meir has been reorganizing cargo within the Harmony module's pressurized mating adapter-2 to facilitate entry. Meanwhile, flight engineers are conducting vital research, such as testing the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (EESA) and evaluating lower body negative pressure suits to mitigate the effects of fluid shifts in microgravity. These preparations are essential for ensuring the safety and physiological health of the incoming crews during their time in orbit.

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