SpaceX has successfully launched four astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, marking the company’s 13th long-duration crew mission for NASA.
The Crew-13 mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The Falcon 9 carried a Crew Dragon spacecraft named Grace.
The crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. Watkins is serving as commander of the mission.
The spacecraft is scheduled to spend about eight hours travelling to the space station, with docking targeted for around 7 p.m. Eastern time. NASA said the planned journey could become the fastest US spacecraft trip to the ISS.
After separating from the Dragon spacecraft, the Falcon 9's reusable first stage returned toward Cape Canaveral for a landing. SpaceX said the booster was making its third flight, having previously supported the Crew-12 mission and a Starlink launch.
The astronauts are expected to spend about six months aboard the ISS, where they will conduct scientific research focused on human health and performance in space. Planned studies include examining the effects of microgravity on blood circulation and blood clotting.
Crew-13 will join the existing station crew as part of Expedition 75. The new arrivals will also carry out a handover with members of Crew-12, who are expected to return to Earth after completing their mission.
The launch follows a delay from September after a leak was detected in the Dragon spacecraft. NASA and SpaceX subsequently completed additional reviews and preparations before receiving approval to proceed with the mission.
The mission is another milestone in NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which uses privately developed spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX began carrying NASA astronauts to orbit in 2020.