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NASA, SpaceX to Test New Flight Suits on Upcoming ISS Mission
🇧🇴 Bolivia /Technology

NASA, SpaceX to Test New Flight Suits on Upcoming ISS Mission

From El Deber · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • NASA and SpaceX plan to launch the Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) no earlier than September 12.
  • The mission will test a new generation of third-generation flight suits designed to accommodate spinal growth in orbit.
  • The crew includes astronauts from NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, and Russia's Roscosmos; one crew member is expecting a child during the mission.

NASA and SpaceX are preparing to launch the Crew-13 mission, sending a new rotation of personnel to the International Space Station (ISS) no earlier than September 12. This mission, a collaboration with SpaceX, will feature the debut of a new generation of third-generation flight suits.

third-generation flight suits, which are designed to adapt to the growth of the spinal column in orbit.

— Juliana ScheimanNASA's director of Dragon and Science programs, explaining the key feature of the new flight suits during a press conference.

These advanced suits are engineered to adapt to spinal elongation, a phenomenon astronauts experience in microgravity. Juliana Scheiman, NASA's director of Dragon and Science programs, explained the suit's design during a press conference on Monday. The Crew-13 capsule will carry NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Josh Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteriatnikov.

For most of the crew, this marks their first journey to the orbital laboratory. Jessica Watkins is an exception, having previously flown on the Crew-4 mission in 2022. During the approximately six-month mission, the crew will conduct experiments and perform maintenance tasks aboard the ISS.

We have a dedicated medical team at the CSA to provide full support to his family on the ground, ensuring Josh is at ease aboard.

— Matthew CaronCanadian Space Agency expert, discussing support for astronaut Josh Kutryk's family during his mission.

Adding a personal note, Canadian Space Agency expert Matthew Caron revealed that Josh Kutryk will become a father for the third time while in space. "We have a dedicated medical team at the CSA to provide full support to his family on the ground, ensuring Josh is at ease aboard," Caron stated. The mission also comes after a period of heightened attention to ISS safety in June, when a minor air leak in a Russian module prompted NASA to prepare for a potential evacuation. NASA officials confirmed the leak was successfully patched with a temporary adhesive and is not currently active, though a permanent structural repair is being evaluated.

A temporary adhesive patch has been placed by Roscosmos that has successfully sealed the leak. There is no active leak at this time. The module is being kept at a low pressure while they evaluate if they will do a permanent structural repair.

— Dana WeigelNASA's ISS program manager, providing an update on the air leak issue on the space station.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Deber in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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