TECHNOLOGY · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
SpaceX Crew‑13 Launches to ISS, Sets Fastest U.S. Launch‑to‑Docking Record
WHY IT MATTERS
The rapid docking demonstrates the reliability of U.S. commercial crew operations and supports critical research that informs long‑duration human spaceflight and medical advances on Earth.
What happened
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted the Dragon spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:10 a. m. EDT on Oct. 1, 2026, carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The Dragon will autonomously dock to the forward port of the ISS’s Harmony module around 7 p.
m. , marking the fastest launch‑to‑docking by a U. S. spacecraft in ISS history.
After a brief handover, the crew will join Expedition 75 and begin work on microgravity research, including stem‑cell tissue production, autonomous plant growth, and new health‑monitoring devices. The mission underscores the role of commercial partners in sustaining U. S. presence in low‑Earth orbit and advancing science for future lunar and Martian endeavors.
PRIMARY SOURCES
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 Launches to International Space Station
NASA · Lauren E. Low · NASA media usage guidelines; third-party material excluded
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Oct 1, 2026, 5:45 PM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Oct 1, 2026, 5:45 PM