NASA, SpaceX target Oct. 1 for Crew-13 launch to space station

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is displayed at a SpaceX facility on August 04, 2026 in Hawthorne, California. (Photo: AFP)

NASA and SpaceX are targeting Oct. 1 as the earliest launch opportunity for the Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station, NASA said Tuesday.

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket are scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, according to NASA. The crew is expected to reach the space station in less than nine hours after launch.

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov will serve as mission specialists.

Crew-13 is the 13th crew rotation mission of SpaceX's human space transportation system and the company's 14th crewed flight to the space station through NASA's Commercial Crew Program.