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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov onboard, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky Four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission launched at 11:10 a.m. EDT Thursday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station. “Crew-13 is another demonstration of America’s unmatched capability in human spaceflight and the strength of our commercial partnerships,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Jessica, Luke, Joshua, and Sergey will carry forward important work aboard the International Space Station while helping us build the experience and capabilities needed for ambitious missions to the Moon and beyond. Congratulations to the crew and the NASA and SpaceX teams who made today’s launch possible.” A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled a Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney , CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward port of the station’s Harmony module at approximately 7 p.m., making it the fastest launch-to-docking by a U.S. spacecraft in the history of the International Space Station. “Our steady cadence of commercial crew launches demonstrates the essential role the International Space Station plays in sustaining our presence in Earth’s orbit and sharpening the tools we’ll take forward to the Moon and Mars,” said Dr. Lori Glaze, associate administrator of NASA’s Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “Each space station mission adds to our blueprint for exploration, and the work our crews carry out guides our plans while ensuring we keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in human spaceflight.” During Dragon’s approximately 7-hour, 50-minute flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California. NASA will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA’s live arrival coverage begins at 5:20 p.m. for rendezvous, docking, and hatch opening. After docking, the crew members will change out of their spacesuits and prepare cargo for offload before opening the hatch to the station’s Harmony module around 8:45 p.m. NASA will stream Crew‑13’s arrival across multiple platforms. Learn where to watch at: https://www.nasa.gov/live Watkins, Delaney, Kutryk, and Teteryatnikov will join the Expedition 75 crew, which includes NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina already aboard the station. After a brief handover, NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑12 mission, with agency astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway , ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, will return to Earth. During its mission, Crew‑13 will help advance research aboard the orbiting laboratory by using microgravity to produce human stem cell‑derived tissues for improved personalized medicine, disease modeling, and pharmaceutical testing for conditions such as heart disease and Parkinson’s. The crew also will explore crop production through a new, mostly autonomous plant growth system and test how plants grow outside dedicated facilities. In addition, the crew members will continue human‑health studies that examine factors linked to blood-flow abnormalities in microgravity and will test a new inflight diagnostic device to monitor astronaut health. Crew-13 is part of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program, which partners with private companies to provide reliable access to space, support research and development aboard the space station, and enable future missions beyond low Earth orbit. Learn more about NASA’s Space Crew-13 at: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/nasas-spacex-crew-13/ -end- 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 Share Details Last Updated Oct 01, 2026 Location NASA Headquarters Related Terms Humans in Space International Space Station (ISS) Johnson Space Center Kennedy Space Center Missions International observational observatories, orbital space telescopes, and planetary science missions are producing unprecedented empirical datasets that challenge foundational assumptions across astrophysics, planetary geology, and atmospheric chemistry. ## Observational Discoveries & Data Telemetry Using sophisticated infrared spectrometers, high-resolution optical arrays, and computational simulation models, researchers have mapped previously undetected physical phenomena with unprecedented fidelity. Recent telemetry from space missions and ground-based interferometers has allowed astronomers to probe atmospheric chemistry, planetary dust distribution, and stellar accretion physics under extreme gravitational and radiation regimes. The empirical data collected provides crucial calibration points for historical theoretical models: ## Methodology, Peer Review, and Cross-Laboratory Verification Rigorous scientific methodology requires that novel astronomical and planetary discoveries undergo exhaustive validation across multiple observational platforms. Data streams collected by primary spacecraft instruments are independently processed by secondary research teams using distinct computational reduction pipelines to rule out instrumental artifacts or cosmic-ray interference. Collaborative international teams across leading research institutes verify findings through synchronized observations utilizing space-based instruments (such as the James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope) alongside high-altitude terrestrial arrays located in Chile, Hawaii, and the Atacama Desert. ## Planetary Evolution & Astrophysical Implications The broader implications of these observational findings extend to our understanding of planetary system genesis and solar system evolution: - Atmospheric Mechanics & Climate Models: Resolving aerosol composition and high-altitude particulate dynamics provides vital benchmarks for comparative climatology across terrestrial planets. - Planetary Habitability Baselines: Mapping chemical signatures and cosmic radiation shielding aids astrophysicists in characterizing exoplanetary atmospheres within distant stellar systems. - Orbital Instrumentation Advances: Testing novel sensor arrays in orbital environments establishes technological heritage for planned exploratory flyby and atmospheric entry missions. ## Mission Roadmap & Future Investigations Follow-up observational windows have already been reserved across major terrestrial and orbital facilities. As raw telemetry datasets are finalized and released to the worldwide scientific community through open data archives, international research consortia will continue publishing calibrated secondary findings to refine contemporary astrophysics paradigms.