Crew-13 rocket vertical at launch pad ahead of 2026-10-01 launch

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 for NASA's SpaceX Crew-13. The mission is scheduled to launch on 2026-10-01 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It is a long-duration science mission to the International Space Station.

Crew-13 is scheduled to launch on 2026-10-01 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The crew is Jessica Watkins, commander; Luke Delaney, pilot; Joshua Kutryk, mission specialist; and Sergey Teteryatnikov, mission specialist.

The mission is a long-duration science mission to the International Space Station. Dragon is listed for docking around 2026-10-01T20:00:00-04:00 ET at the forward port of the Harmony module.

Jessica Watkins is the only crew member who has flown before. Joshua Kutryk is listed as the first Canadian to reach orbit through NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

The Falcon 9 booster is on its third flight, and its landing site is Landing Zone 40. Crew-13 is listed as relieving Crew-12 astronauts, while Crew-12's landing date is 2026-02.

SpaceX has three missions planned for 2026-10-01. Transporter's launch site is Vandenberg Space Force Base, with a launch window from 2026-10-01T14:18:00-04:00 to 2026-10-01T15:16:00-04:00 ET, while NROL-97 is scheduled for 2026-10-01T23:53:00-04:00 ET from Launch Complex 39A.

For readers tracking the lunar industry, the mission shows NASA's Commercial Crew Program delivering a long-duration International Space Station science flight, with a Canadian milestone and a crew-rotation link to Crew-12. The same 2026-10-01 manifest also includes a Falcon Heavy flight with the first National Reconnaissance Office payload, alongside launch activity at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Crew-13 is set to relieve Crew-12 astronauts, and Dragon is scheduled to dock to the forward port of the Harmony module around 2026-10-01T20:00:00-04:00 ET.

SpaceX's other planned 2026-10-01 missions are Transporter, with a window from 2026-10-01T14:18:00-04:00 to 2026-10-01T15:16:00-04:00 ET at Vandenberg Space Force Base, and NROL-97 at 2026-10-01T23:53:00-04:00 ET from Launch Complex 39A.