SpaceX launched a crew for NASA on Thursday, sending astronauts toward the International Space Station aboard a Dragon capsule that is being retired, according to bloomberg.com. The flight, designated Crew-13, is SpaceX's 13th long-duration astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Reuters reported.
NASA had announced launch and docking coverage for Crew-13 ahead of the flight. After liftoff, the astronauts reached orbit and began chasing the space station, according to the outlet Space. The BBC also reported on the launch.
The mission marks another rotation of crew to the station under NASA's commercial crew arrangements with SpaceX. Bloomberg's headline described the Dragon capsule used for this flight as retiring, indicating the vehicle is nearing the end of its service. The reporting did not specify which capsule flew or when it would be withdrawn.
Coverage of the launch drew attention from multiple outlets, with NASA, Reuters, the BBC, Space and Bloomberg all reporting on the mission. The reports focused on the launch itself and the crew's progress toward the station rather than on the capsule's retirement timeline.
What to watch next: docking coverage for Crew-13, which NASA said it would provide, and any further details on the Dragon capsule's retirement schedule.
