Summary
NASA says four astronauts are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on SpaceX Crew-13 no earlier than Oct. 1, 2026. The mission will conduct research into disease models, crop production and crew health.
NASA says four astronauts are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on SpaceX Crew-13 no earlier than 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. The crew—NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov—will travel aboard the Dragon spacecraft Grace for a long-duration station mission.
The flight is the 13th SpaceX crew-rotation mission to the station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Office. Its planned work combines station research, technology demonstrations and maintenance, with investigations intended to support future missions to the Moon and Mars as well as research relevant to life on Earth.
Launch and station handover
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will carry Dragon from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. NASA says the booster being prepared for the mission is slated for its third flight. After launch, Falcon 9 is expected to accelerate Dragon to approximately 17,500 mph. The capsule will then perform a series of manoeuvres to reach the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. Dragon is designed to dock autonomously, though the crew can take manual control if needed.
The spacecraft previously flew in summer 2025 for Axiom Mission 4. Before launch, teams must complete rocket and spacecraft checkouts and certify the components; NASA says Dragon and Falcon 9 will then be joined before rolling to the launch pad for a crew dress rehearsal and an integrated static-fire test.
Crew-13 will join the seven-person Expedition 75 crew. Following a short handover, the four Crew-12 astronauts aboard the station are expected to depart in their Dragon spacecraft. Crew-13 is also scheduled to receive two cargo flights later in the year, including a resupply mission delivering International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays.
Research planned for the mission
NASA says the crew will support investigations using human stem-cell-derived tissues to study heart disease and Parkinson’s disease. The agency describes this work as aimed at improving disease modelling and pharmaceutical testing. These are planned research activities, not reported results from the Crew-13 mission.
Other work will examine crop production, an area relevant to supplying food on longer space missions; blood-flow abnormalities observed in space; and diagnostic medical equipment for monitoring crew health. NASA frames the research as part of a broader effort to understand the challenges of human spaceflight while advancing science and technology for future exploration.
The mission’s science plans reflect the station’s role as a research laboratory in low Earth orbit: its crew can conduct investigations during extended stays in space, while also maintaining the systems and facilities that support that work.