NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 Successfully Launches to the International Space Station

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched on 1st October 2026, carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft as part of NASA’s Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission featured a distinguished crew comprising NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The launch occurred at 11:10 a.m. EDT from the Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Significance of the Mission

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman remarked, “Crew-13 exemplifies America’s unparalleled capabilities in human spaceflight and showcases the strength of our commercial partnerships.” He emphasised that the crew would contribute significantly to the ongoing work aboard the ISS while simultaneously enhancing the experience and skills required for future ambitious missions to the Moon and beyond. He extended his congratulations to both the crew and the teams at NASA and SpaceX responsible for the successful launch.

The Falcon 9 rocket adeptly propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit, where it is expected to autonomously dock with the ISS’s Harmony module around 7 p.m. This docking will mark a historic achievement as it will be the fastest launch-to-docking interval for a U.S. spacecraft in the ISS’s history.

Monitoring and Operations

Dr. Lori Glaze, associate administrator of NASA’s Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, highlighted the ongoing significance of the ISS. She stated, “Our steady cadence of commercial crew launches illustrates the critical role the ISS plays in maintaining our presence in Earth’s orbit while enhancing the tools we will utilise for missions to the Moon and Mars.” Each mission to the space station contributes to a broader blueprint for exploration, guiding future plans and pushing the limits of human spaceflight.

During the approximately 7-hour and 50-minute flight, SpaceX’s mission control centre in Hawthorne, California, will oversee a series of automated spacecraft manoeuvres. Concurrently, NASA will manage operations related to the space station from its Mission Control Centre at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Live Coverage and Arrival Procedures

NASA’s live coverage of the crew’s arrival will commence at 5:20 p.m., detailing the rendezvous, docking, and hatch opening. Following the docking procedure, the astronauts will change out of their spacesuits and prepare for cargo offload before opening the hatch to the Harmony module at approximately 8:45 p.m.

Viewers can stream the Crew-13 arrival across various platforms, with instructions available at NASA’s website.

Scientific Advancements and Research

Once aboard the ISS, Watkins, Delaney, Kutryk, and Teteryatnikov will join the existing Expedition 75 crew, which includes NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. Following a brief handover, the Crew-12 mission, featuring astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, will return to Earth.

Throughout its mission, Crew-13 will focus on advancing research aboard the ISS, including the use of microgravity to develop human stem cell-derived tissues aimed at enhancing personalised medicine, disease modelling, and pharmaceutical testing for conditions like heart disease and Parkinson’s. The crew will also investigate crop production through an innovative, predominantly autonomous plant growth system and assess how plants thrive outside dedicated facilities. Furthermore, they will continue health studies examining blood-flow abnormalities in microgravity and test a new in-flight diagnostic device to monitor astronaut health.

Collaborative Efforts for Future Exploration

Crew-13 is an integral part of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program, which collaborates with private entities to ensure reliable access to space, support ongoing research and development aboard the ISS, and facilitate future missions beyond low Earth orbit.

For further details about NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission, visit NASA’s official website.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Steven Siceloff
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones / Anna Schneider
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov / anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov