SpaceX's Falcon 9 launches Crew-13 astronauts toward the ISS from Florida

Crew-13 launches aboard Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lifted off at 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, beginning NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station. NASA identified the crew as NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. SpaceX and NASA reported that the Dragon spacecraft reached orbit and was scheduled to dock with the station at about 7 p.m. EDT.

Booster recovery and mission profile

After separating from the upper stage, the Falcon 9 first stage returned to Cape Canaveral and landed at SpaceX's Landing Zone 40, a routine recovery that SpaceX confirmed via social media. SpaceX described the flight as Dragon's 13th operational human spaceflight mission to the ISS. The crew is expected to remain aboard the orbiting laboratory for an extended stay, with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posting on X, "Congratulations NASA and SpaceX teams, on another gorgeous launch. Godspeed Crew-13!"

Science and international crew assignments

According to NASA and SpaceX, the Crew-13 astronauts will conduct research aimed at preparing for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and at benefitting life on Earth. Coverage from The Times of India framed the work as a roughly six-month mission focused on human health. The four-person crew represents three space agencies and two nationalities alongside Russia, underscoring the continuing multinational composition of ISS expeditions.

Other developments

Separately, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced a downward revision to the expected Starship launch cadence for 2024, a change reported as relevant to the SPCX investor outlook. Gurufocus framed the Crew-13 flight as the fourth crewed SPCX mission to the ISS and noted that the company's stock reflects high growth expectations following its market debut. SpaceX was also scheduled to fly two additional Falcon vehicles on the same day: the Transporter-18 smallsat rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Base and the NROL-97 mission on a Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center, a slate Musk described as "Three Falcons ready to fly simultaneously."