Commercial Space Stations and the ISS Handover — 2026-09-19
The transition from the ISS to commercial destinations faces immediate operational hurdles as the SpaceX Crew-13 launch remains delayed due to a Dragon spacecraft oxidizer leak, pushing crew rotation into October. Meanwhile, Roscosmos successfully launched Progress 96 on September 16 to deliver critical supplies to the Expedition 75 crew, ensuring station continuity despite the American crew rotation pause.
Commercial Space Stations and the ISS Handover — 2026-09-19
Crew-13 Launch Delayed by Dragon Oxidizer Leak
NASA and SpaceX have postponed the Crew-13 mission, originally scheduled for September 12, due to an oxidizer leak in the Dragon spacecraft's propulsion system. As of September 16, the leak investigation is in its third week, with no new launch date announced. This delay puts the planned crew handover with Expedition 75 on hold, meaning the current crew, including Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, will remain onboard longer than anticipated.
Progress 96 Launches to Support Expedition 75
Roscosmos launched the Progress 96 cargo spacecraft on September 16 at 9:33 a.m. EDT from Kazakhstan. The spacecraft is carrying approximately 2,600 kg (nearly three tons) of food, fuel, and supplies and is scheduled to dock with the Poisk module on Saturday, September 19. This mission ensures the Expedition 75 crew remains supported while the American crew rotation is paused.
Station Operations Continue Amidst Delays
Despite the launch delay, ISS operations continue normally. On September 18, the Expedition 75 crew completed a lead-free soldering experiment and conducted lunar landing simulations. The crew is also preparing for the arrival of Progress 96 and continuing routine maintenance. NASA has not reported any issues with the station's health or the Russian segment leaks affecting current operations.
Local view
No recent local-language media coverage or stakeholder statements specifically addressing the commercial space station handover were found in the provided research results for this period.
Context & numbers
- Progress 96 Cargo: Approximately 2,600 kg of supplies.
- Crew-13 Target: Originally September 12; now delayed to early October pending leak resolution.
- Expedition 75 Crew: Includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimia Stott, Jonny Kim, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Note: Research mentions Crew-12 members Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev scheduled to return, implying they are still present or recently rotated). Correction based on source: The source lists Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev as scheduled to return in September, taking the place of Crew-13. The current active crew status is maintained by the Progress 96 delivery.
On the radar
- Crew-13 New Launch Date: NASA has stated the launch is expected in "early October," but a specific day has not been confirmed. Watch for SpaceX's resolution of the Dragon oxidizer leak.
- Progress 96 Docking: Scheduled for September 19, 2026, at 9:46 a.m. EDT.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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