SpaceX Launches Crew-13 Mission to International Space Station

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, October 1, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. This marks the 13th long-duration crewed flight for SpaceX for NASA. The mission, designated Crew-13, is expected to last six months. The launch was delayed by three weeks to replace a valve in the Crew Dragon's propulsion system.

Commander Jessica Watkins is making her second trip to the space station and is the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit. Delaney, Kutryk, and Teteryatnikov are space rookies. Kutryk's wife is expecting their third child around Thanksgiving, approximately two months into the mission, making them the fourth couple in space travel history to have a child born while a parent is in orbit.

The crew's research will focus on human health and performance in space, including studies on microgravity's effects on blood circulation and clotting, and growing food reliably in space. The mission patch pays tribute to Apollo 13. The ISS has been continuously occupied for over 25 years and is planned to remain operational through 2030. The crew is expected to reach the ISS approximately eight hours after liftoff.