NASA and SpaceX scheduled four Crew-13 astronauts to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Falcon 9 and Dragon on October 1, 2026, at 11:10 a.m. Eastern. Docking at the International Space Station (ISS) was planned for around 7 p.m. Eastern.
The planned trip to the ISS was 7 hours and 50 minutes
The schedule set out a 7-hour-50-minute journey from liftoff to docking. If completed as planned, the trip could have set a speed record for a U.S. spacecraft traveling to the ISS.
A reported Dragon leak changed the launch plan
The launch had previously been scheduled for September 12. A reported leak in Dragon’s propulsion system prompted a change to the plan, and technicians reportedly repaired it by replacing an oxidizer valve.
The four Crew-13 astronauts
Jessica Watkins was assigned as commander, Luke Delaney as pilot, and Joshua Kutryk and Sergey Teteryatnikov as mission specialists. Watkins spent 170 days in space in 2022; the other three astronauts were set for their first spaceflight.
