Houston, we have a golden dragon: Crew-13's 'Lucky' zero-g indicator
Key Points:
- Joshua Kutryk, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut, expressed disbelief upon entering space aboard SpaceX's Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), alongside NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, and Roscosmos' Sergey Teteryatnikov.
- The Crew-13 team brought a zero-gravity indicator doll named "Lucky," a golden dragon crocheted to symbolize their mission patch and honor the legacy of Apollo 13, reflecting a tradition of carrying small toys to confirm weightlessness.
- The dragon "Lucky" features a four-leaf clover, representing SpaceX's lucky charm since its first successful orbital launch in 2008, and the crew used "LUCKY 13" license plates on their Tesla transport vehicles, embracing the theme of luck amid triskaidekaphobia.
- Crew-13's mission patch and zero-g indicator pay homage to Apollo 13's resilience and legacy, with design elements inspired by the historic 1970 mission, highlighting their respect for past space exploration achievements.
- The Crew-13 Dragon capsule set a new record for the fastest rendezvous with the ISS, docking in just 7 hours and 55 minutes due to favorable orbital mechanics, marking the start of their five-and-a-half-month stay aboard the station.