NASA · Space

SpaceX Crew-13 Launches to International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission successfully launched on Thursday, October 1, 2026, carrying four crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) for a science expedition.

The mission launched at 11:10 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft. The crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.

The spacecraft is expected to dock autonomously with the ISS's Harmony module around 7 p.m. on the same day, marking the fastest launch-to-docking by a U.S. spacecraft in ISS history. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman highlighted the mission as a demonstration of U.S. human spaceflight capabilities and commercial partnerships.

During the approximately 7-hour, 50-minute flight, SpaceX will monitor automatic spacecraft maneuvers, while NASA will oversee station operations. The crew will join Expedition 75, which includes astronauts already aboard the station. Following their arrival, the departing NASA SpaceX Crew-12 mission will return to Earth.

The Crew-13 mission will focus on advancing research in microgravity. This includes producing human stem cell-derived tissues for personalized medicine and pharmaceutical testing, exploring crop production with an autonomous plant growth system, and testing how plants grow outside dedicated facilities.

Further research will involve human-health studies examining blood-flow abnormalities in microgravity and testing a new inflight diagnostic device for monitoring astronaut health. These activities are part of NASA's Low Earth Orbit Program, which fosters partnerships with private companies for space access and research.

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