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NASA Embraces 'Unlucky 13' for SpaceX Mission
28 Apr
Summary
- The 13th crewed mission by SpaceX to the ISS is named Crew-13.
- The mission patch for Crew-13 includes symbolic elements from Apollo 13.
- NASA previously avoided the number 13 in space mission designations.
NASA has assigned its first crew to a mission numbered '13' since Apollo 13 encountered difficulties 56 years ago. The Crew-13 mission, comprising Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk, and Sergey Teteryatnikov, is set to launch on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in mid-September for a five-month stay aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 75 and 76.
The mission actively counters triskaidekaphobia, or the fear of the number 13, by embracing its connection to the historic Apollo 13 flight. The Crew-13 mission patch deliberately incorporates visual nods to the Apollo 13 insignia. A central golden dragon on the patch references both SpaceX's capsule and the golden horses from the Apollo 13 emblem, with its tail wrapping Earth in a manner similar to the Apollo 13 patch's contrail, symbolizing a bridge to future exploration.
Historically, NASA has shown apprehension towards the number 13. Following the Apollo 13 incident, mission designations like STS-13 were changed to more complex numbering systems, such as STS-41-C, to avoid the perceived unlucky number. This practice continued until after the loss of the space shuttle Challenger. Despite past superstitions and similar concerns within the Russian space program, the Crew-13 mission is proceeding as planned.
