Crew-13: NASA and SpaceX Set October 1 Launch for Next ISS Crew Rotation

Crew-13 will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying four astronauts and cosmonauts to the orbiting laboratory for a long-duration expedition. The crew consists of NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.

Jessica Watkins will command the mission, with Luke Delaney serving as pilot. Joshua Kutryk and Sergey Teteryatnikov will serve as mission specialists. For Delaney, Kutryk, and Teteryatnikov, Crew-13 will mark their first spaceflight, while Watkins will return to the ISS for her second mission.

Following launch, Dragon is expected to reach the ISS in less than nine hours, with docking planned for approximately 8:00 p.m. EDT on October 1 at the forward-facing port of the station's Harmony module. Once aboard, the four Crew-13 members will join Expedition 75 and spend approximately six months living and working in orbit.

The mission will support NASA's ongoing human spaceflight program, with the crew conducting scientific research, technology demonstrations, station maintenance, and other activities designed to advance knowledge for future exploration while providing benefits on Earth.

Crew-13's launch date follows additional work on the Dragon spacecraft after an oxidizer leak in its propulsion system was detected during prelaunch processing. NASA and SpaceX subsequently carried out additional testing, data reviews, and corrective work before moving toward the October launch opportunity.

With the crew currently in quarantine at NASA's Johnson Space Center, preparations are entering their final phase. The astronauts are scheduled to travel to Florida ahead of launch as teams complete final reviews of Dragon, Falcon 9, the ISS, and overall mission readiness.

Crew-13 is now scheduled for October 1, marking the next major crew rotation between Earth and the International Space Station.