NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission successfully launched on Thursday at 11:10 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral, carrying four crew members for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman noted the mission as a testament to the strength of commercial partnerships and American capabilities in human spaceflight. The crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The Dragon spacecraft, propelled by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is set to dock autonomously to the ISS’s Harmony module, marking the fastest U.S. launch-to-docking in ISS history.
Dr. Lori Glaze emphasized the ISS’s vital role in preparing for future lunar and Mars missions. The crew’s flight will last around 7 hours and 50 minutes, with SpaceX monitoring the spacecraft from California and NASA overseeing station operations from Houston.
After docking, coverage of the crew’s arrival will begin at 5:20 p.m., with the hatch opening around 8:45 p.m. They will join the Expedition 75 crew and conduct various research projects, including advancements in personalized medicine and agricultural studies.
This mission is part of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program, which collaborates with private companies to ensure reliable access to space and support research.
For more details, visit NASA’s Crew-13 page.
