NASA and SpaceX set mid-september launch for Crew-13 mission to ISS

This flight is the 13th crew rotation with SpaceX to the space station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Programme.

As part of NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission, four astronauts representing three international space agencies are scheduled to launch no earlier than mid-September on a long-duration expedition to the International Space Station.

The crew will be led by NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins as spacecraft commander, with fellow NASA astronaut Luke Delaney serving as pilot. They will be joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, both of whom will act as mission specialists. Upon arrival, the team will integrate into the station's Expedition 75 crew.

Crew-13 marks the 13th astronaut rotation mission carried out by SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Crew Programme. The agency has moved the launch timeline forward from November in a bid to increase the cadence of US crewed missions to the space station. During their stay, the astronauts will conduct a wide range of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations aimed at advancing preparations for human exploration of the Moon and Mars, while also delivering benefits for research on Earth.

For Watkins, this mission will mark her second journey to the ISS following her 170-day stay during Expeditions 67 and 68 in 2022. A geologist by training, she previously contributed to studies of the Martian surface and worked with the Curiosity rover science team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. With Crew-13, she is set to become the first NASA astronaut to fly twice aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

Delaney, selected as an astronaut in 2021, will be making his first trip to space. A former naval aviator and test pilot, he has flown missions across the Asia-Pacific region and supported operations tied to Operation Enduring Freedom. He has also contributed to airborne science missions as a research pilot at NASA's Langley Research Center.

Kutryk will also be embarking on his first spaceflight. Before joining the Canadian Space Agency in 2017, he served as a CF-18 fighter pilot and participated in missions supporting NATO, United Nations, and North American Aerospace Defense Command operations. He later worked as an experimental test pilot and holds multiple advanced degrees in engineering and space-related disciplines.

Teteryatnikov, representing Roscosmos, will likewise be making his debut mission to the ISS. With a background in naval engineering, he previously held roles involving undersea vessels and propulsion systems before being selected for cosmonaut training in 2021.

For more than 25 years, continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station has enabled scientific discoveries and technological advancements not achievable on Earth. The orbiting laboratory continues to play a central role in expanding commercial activity in low Earth orbit and supporting long-term exploration goals, including NASA's Artemis missions to the Moon and future crewed journeys to Mars.