Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk plans to carry a family pocket watch more than a century old when he boards the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for NASA’s Crew-13 mission. The timepiece has passed through four generations of his Ukrainian Canadian family and now faces a trip that will place it roughly 250 miles above Earth. Launch is set for Thursday at 11:10 a.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. ([1])The watch serves a practical purpose during the flight, yet it also carries personal meaning for Kutryk. He has described it as a reminder of how much his family and the wider world have changed since the early 1900s.
Personal Symbol Meets Modern Spaceflight
Kutryk, a fourth-generation Ukrainian Canadian, selected the heirloom for both utility and reflection. During an August prelaunch news conference he noted that he needs a watch to tell time, but the object also connects him to earlier generations. “For me, it’s really neat to look at that and reflect on just how much has changed in those 100 years, a little over 100 years,” he said. He added that the pace of progress over the past century raises questions about what the next hundred years might bring if decisions are made thoughtfully. The contrast between a mechanical timepiece from the early twentieth century and a Falcon 9 rocket underscores the rapid advance of technology. The same span that separates the watch’s origin from today also covers the period from the Wright brothers’ first flight to the first human steps on the Moon.
Crew and Mission Objectives
Kutryk will fly alongside NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. Once in orbit the four will join Expedition 75 on the International Space Station for roughly six months. Their work includes studies of human stem-cell-derived tissues aimed at improving treatments for heart disease and Parkinson’s, experiments on crop production for future long-duration missions, and tests of new medical monitoring equipment. The mission forms part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. If the launch proceeds on schedule, the crew is expected to reach the station in less than eight hours, the shortest trip yet under the program. Docking is planned for around 7 p.m. ET, with hatch opening shortly afterward.
Launch Preparations and Weather Outlook
SpaceX and NASA completed a Launch Readiness Review on Wednesday and declared the mission ready. Earlier delays in August stemmed from an oxidizer leak, GPS issues, and a rocket engine motor microcontroller problem. Those items have been addressed, officials said. Weather at the Florida launch site remains a variable. Forecasters give the mission a 45 percent chance of postponement due to thick cloud layers and possible rain. Favorable conditions overall have been noted, yet the final call will depend on real-time observations.
Looking Ahead
The Crew-13 astronauts will relieve members of Crew-12, who have been aboard the station since February. Their arrival will mark the twenty-sixth year of continuous human presence on the orbiting laboratory. Research conducted during the mission is expected to support both medical advances on Earth and preparations for longer journeys beyond low Earth orbit. The pocket watch, meanwhile, will serve as a quiet witness to another chapter in that ongoing story.
AI Disclaimer: This article was created with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by a human editor.