NASA’s Crew-13 mission launched successfully on October 1, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking the first launch of a NASA astronaut crew in over two weeks. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 11:10 a.m. EDT, carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Crew Dragon “Grace.” This flight is notable for being the fastest Crew Dragon flight to the ISS, lasting approximately 8 hours.
The mission features Commander Jessica Watkins, who is on her second spaceflight, and three first-time astronauts: Pilot Luke Delaney, Mission Specialist Joshua Kutryk from the Canadian Space Agency, and Sergey Teteryatnikov from Roscosmos. Their trip to low Earth orbit took under 10 minutes, with the rocket’s booster returning for a successful landing within 7 minutes post-launch.
The Crew-13 astronauts aim to conduct various maintenance and research operations during their six months aboard the ISS, including studies on astronaut health and agricultural experiments in microgravity. Their arrival coincides with preparations for the Crew-12 astronauts’ return, who have been on the station for about 7.5 months.
