SpaceX launches Crew-13 to ISS in record 7-hour, 50-minute flight

SpaceX successfully launched NASA's Crew-13 mission on October 1, 2026, at 11:10 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket carried four crew members aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft named Grace to the International Space Station in what NASA confirmed as the fastest launch-to-docking time in U.S. space station history: 7 hours and 50 minutes.

The crew consists of NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins (commander) and Luke Delaney (pilot), Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk (mission specialist), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov (mission specialist). Watkins, a geologist who previously worked on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover science team, is making her second spaceflight and became the first Black woman to command a crew to orbit. Delaney, a former Marine and test pilot, Kutryk, a Royal Canadian Air Force colonel, and Teteryatnikov, a former submariner, are all making their first spaceflight. The Dragon spacecraft docked at the station's Harmony module at approximately 7 p.m. EDT on October 1.

The mission was delayed three weeks to repair a fuel system leak in the capsule before launch. The crew will join Expedition 75 and replace four astronauts who have been at the station since February. During their six-month stay, Crew-13 will conduct multiple scientific investigations, including biomedical research on how microgravity affects blood clotting and circulation (Venous Haemostasis), exploration of crop production using an autonomous plant growth system, evaluation of manual piloting skills for lunar landings, and testing of diagnostic medical equipment. The research aims to advance knowledge needed for future missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as to improve medical treatments for conditions such as heart disease and Parkinson's disease on Earth.

The Crew Dragon Grace spacecraft previously flew the private Axiom Mission 4 in summer 2025, and the Falcon 9 first-stage booster (B1101) has flown twice before. After Crew-13's docking, NASA's Crew-12 mission is scheduled to begin its return to Earth no earlier than October 5 following a brief handover. Kutryk's wife is expected to give birth to their third child in late November while he remains in orbit; NASA will provide communication support to keep him connected to his family during the birth.