CAPE CANAVERAL — NASA and SpaceX have successfully launched the Crew-13 astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The mission propelled the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Grace, into low Earth orbit atop a two-stage Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Following stage separation and nominal orbital insertion, the spacecraft commenced its automated rendezvous and docking sequence, targeting an arrival at the orbital laboratory later in the day.
International Crew and Expedition 75 Science Objectives
The Crew-13 contingent features an experienced four-member international team led by NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins as Mission Commander. Watkins is joined by NASA Astronaut Luke Delaney serving as Pilot, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Astronaut Joshua Kutryk as Mission Specialist, and Roscosmos Cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov as Mission Specialist.
Upon docking with the space station, the crew will be welcomed aboard by the resident Expedition 75 crew, expanding the station’s research capacity. Over their six-month orbital tour, Crew-13 will execute more than 200 multidisciplinary scientific experiments, technology demonstrations, and maintenance tasks.
The mission’s core research portfolio includes advanced biological assays investigating cellular aging in microgravity, semiconductor crystallographic manufacturing, deep-space radiation shielding materials, and closed-loop life-support technology intended for NASA’s upcoming Artemis lunar expeditions and future crewed missions to Mars.
The launch reflects ongoing acceleration in commercial aerospace partnerships and orbital infrastructure, building upon commercial space flight and orbital deployment milestones.
Reusable Booster Recovery and Mission Operations
Approximately eight and a half minutes following liftoff, the Falcon 9 first-stage booster completed a precision landing at Cape Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1, marking another successful turnaround for SpaceX’s reusable rocketry fleet.
NASA and SpaceX mission control centers in Houston, Texas, and Hawthorne, California, confirmed that the Dragon spacecraft is performing nominally across all guidance, navigation, environmental control, and propulsion subsystems. Crew-13 will remain docked at the ISS until spring 2027, when they are scheduled to return to Earth via a parachute-assisted ocean splashdown off the coast of Florida.