The four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑13 mission launched at 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, beginning their science expedition to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov arrived at the station at 7:05 p.m. EDT — just 7 hours and 55 minutes after launch—marking the fastest launch‑to‑docking of a U.S. spacecraft in the station’s history.
“Crew-13 is another demonstration of America’s unmatched capability in human spaceflight and the strength of our commercial partnerships,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Jessica, Luke, Joshua, and Sergey will carry forward important work aboard the International Space Station while helping us build the experience and capabilities needed for ambitious missions to the Moon and beyond. Congratulations to the crew and the NASA and SpaceX teams who made today’s launch possible.”
During their mission, the Crew‑13 astronauts will support a wide range of research aboard the International Space Station. Their work includes using microgravity to produce human stem cell‑derived tissues that could improve personalized medicine, disease modeling, and pharmaceutical testing for conditions such as heart disease and Parkinson’s. The crew also will study crop production with a new, largely autonomous plant‑growth system and investigate how plants grow outside dedicated facilities. In addition, they will continue human‑health studies focused on factors linked to blood-flow abnormalities in microgravity and test a new in-flight diagnostic device to monitor astronaut health.
