SpaceX Crew-13 launches four astronauts from Cape Canaveral at 11:10 a.m.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission at 11:10 a.m. EDT on 1 October 2026 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying four crew members for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station. The crew comprises NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The launch was originally planned for mid-September but was delayed to replace a valve in the Crew Dragon's propulsion system.cbsnews.com+1

What the launch carried

The mission matters because it continues NASA's steady cadence of commercial crew launches to the orbiting laboratory. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Crew-13 demonstrates capability in human spaceflight and the strength of commercial partnerships, and that the crew will carry forward work aboard the station while building experience for missions to the Moon and beyond.nasa.gov

Watkins commands the mission and holds a Ph.D. in geology; she flew to space aboard a Crew Dragon in 2022. Her three crewmates are space rookies, becoming the 296th, 297th and 298th astronauts to fly aboard the International Space Station. Delaney and Kutryk are former military test pilots, and Teteryatnikov served in the Russian submarine force before becoming a cosmonaut.cbsnews.com

After boosting the rocket and capsule out of the dense lower atmosphere, the Falcon 9's first stage flew itself back to a pinpoint landing at the Space Force station while the upper stage continued the climb. Minutes later, the second stage engine shut down and the crew capsule separated to fly on its own. Delaney radioed, "What an epic ride!"

How the capsule caught up

The launch was timed for the moment Earth's rotation carried the pad into the plane of the station's orbit, a requirement because no current rocket has power to overcome orbital momentum at nearly 5 miles per second. The Falcon 9 cannot change orbital planes, but the Dragon can change altitude, flying lower and faster to catch up. It took about eight hours to reach the station.

Who swaps in and out

During its mission, Crew-13 will use microgravity to produce human stem cell-derived tissues for personalised medicine, disease modelling, and pharmaceutical testing for conditions including heart disease and Parkinson's. The crew will also explore crop production through a new mostly autonomous plant growth system and test a new inflight diagnostic device to monitor astronaut health.