Crew-13 targets 1 October launch to the space station
NASA’s four-person mission is scheduled to fly aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft Grace for research, technology demonstrations and station maintenance.
NASA says its SpaceX Crew-13 mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than 11:10 a.m. EDT on 1 October from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The four crew members are due to join the International Space Station’s Expedition 75 team.
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins will command the mission, with Luke Delaney as pilot. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov will serve as mission specialists. Delaney and Kutryk will make their first spaceflights; it will be Teteryatnikov’s first trip to the station.
The crew will fly in SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft Grace, which previously flew on the private Axiom Mission 4 in summer 2025. NASA says teams are completing preflight checks and preparing the Falcon 9 booster for its third flight. The launch target depends on completion and certification of the rocket and spacecraft checks.
During their planned stay, the crew will conduct research into stem-cell-derived tissues relevant to heart disease and Parkinson’s, crop production, blood-flow abnormalities in space and medical equipment for monitoring crew health. NASA says the work is intended to advance spaceflight research and support improvements in medicine and life on Earth.
Crew-13 is the 13th SpaceX crew-rotation mission to the station under NASA’s Commercial Crew programme. After its arrival and a short handover, Crew-12 is expected to return to Earth. NASA also expects Crew-13 to receive two commercial resupply missions later in the year.
