Preparing for the arrival of Crew-13 at the International Space Station

Space · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: As Expedition 75 readies the orbital outpost for new arrivals, space researchers are testing vital technologies. From specialized suits that combat fluid shifts to exercise devices designed for deep-space missions, every activity on the station supports future journeys to the Moon and Mars.

The International Space Station is currently undergoing intensive preparations to welcome NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission. Scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Pad 40 on Thursday, October 1, the mission includes commander Jessica Watkins and pilot Luke Delaney of NASA, mission specialist Joshua Kutryk of the CSA, and Sergey Teteryatnikov of Roscosmos. They will travel aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket, with docking expected at the Harmony module’s forward port around 7 p.m. that same day.

To facilitate this arrival, the Expedition 75 crew is managing complex logistics. Station commander Jessica Meir has been reorganizing cargo within the Harmony module’s pressurized mating adapter-2 to create space for the incoming crew. Meanwhile, flight engineers Anil Menon and Jack Hathaway have been staging essential supplies in the Harmony module to support the four new crew members immediately upon their entry into the station.

Beyond logistics, the station serves as a critical laboratory for long-term mission survival. ESA flight engineer Sophie Adenot has been testing the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D) to study how to maintain crew fitness during journeys to the Moon and Mars. Simultaneously, Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev is testing a lower body negative pressure suit designed to reverse space-induced fluid shifts from the head toward the feet, potentially helping astronauts adjust more quickly to Earth's gravity after weightlessness. Other researchers, including Anna Kikina and Pyotr Dubrov, are studying microgravity's impact on the microcirculatory system by measuring blood pressure using arm, wrist, and finger cuffs.

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