NASA and SpaceX Crew-13 ready for Sep 2026 launch to the ISS: Key highlights, crew details, and more
NASA and SpaceX have recently shared an update on their mission to the International Space Station (ISS). During a live briefing held at its Johnson Space Center in Houston on August 3, officials shared the latest updates on Crew-13, which is the next crew rotation mission to the space station. As per NASA, the crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. As of now, the mission is targeting a launch no earlier than September 12, 2026.
During the live event, Julianna Scheiman, NASA Science and Dragon programs, SpaceX said, "We are targeting no earlier than September 12th for that mission from Launch Complex 40 in Florida…At SpaceX, we are really proud to partner with NASA. It takes a lot for the teams and the hardware to be ready to fly. And we're excited about that partnership. Human space flight is core to SpaceX's mission, and the top priority of the company is flying these astronauts safely.”
Key Takeaways for NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Mission
Meet NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑13 Astronauts
The Crew-13 includes four astronauts, with NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins leading the mission as commander. This will be her second trip to the ISS, and with Crew-13, she'll be the first NASA astronaut to fly aboard a Dragon spacecraft twice. Luke Delaney will serve as the mission pilot, and this will be his very first trip to space. Joining them is Joshua Kutryk, who previously flew CF-18 fighter jets in support of Canada's NATO, U.N., and NORAD commitments. Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov is also preparing for his first spaceflight. Sergey worked as a naval engineer and has been serving as a test cosmonaut since 2023.
Commenting on the mission, Jessica Watkins said, “I personally am looking forward to returning to the ISS as well as flying on Dragon a second time and really looking forward to experiencing those experiences through the eyes of my crewmates. We will be joining Expedition 75 already in progress on board the International Space Station. Taking the baton from crew 12 and continuing to participate in our continuous human presence on the ISS.”
What comes next for NASA?
As a part of the rotation mission, Crew-13 will take over station duties. But that's not all. The space agency is also preparing for two Progress cargo missions, a SpaceX Dragon cargo flight that will deliver the final set of solar arrays to the space station, and a Northrop Grumman resupply mission.
“Looking ahead, we have a number of other missions that we have planned for this year. We have two progress cargo missions. We have a SpaceX 35 Dragon cargo mission that will bring up the last and final set of the eye Rosa solar arrays. And then we have the Northrop Grumman 25 mission. Teams are really working hard on Starliner. We'd like to get that vehicle back to flight. They've made a handful of hardware modifications. So it's really important for us to fly it as soon as it's ready,” shared Dana Weigel, Manager of Low Earth Orbit Program at NASA Johnson.
What will the Crew-13 astronauts do aboard the ISS?
NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 will also perform maintenance both inside and outside the ISS. In addition, they will conduct research on human health, work on plant habitats, carry out several spacewalks as well as help upgrade the space station, among other tasks. For now, the crew will head to Kennedy Space Center to continue preparations ahead of the September window. Closing her remarks, Scheiman said, "We're also really proud and excited at SpaceX to enable all of the amazing science that has gone on, on the International Space Station." She added, “So with that, I just want to thank NASA, CSA, Roscosmos, and the entire team. Go crew 13.”
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