HAWTHORNE, Calif. — SpaceX is closing in on its next crewed launch, with the Crew-13 mission tracking toward a liftoff no earlier than September 12 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral. Four astronauts will ride the Dragon spacecraft "Grace" atop a Falcon 9 rocket, then dock with the International Space Station the following day to begin a roughly seven-month stay.
The crew brings a strong mix of experience and firsts. Commander Jessica Watkins of NASA, the only member to have flown before, will become the first active NASA astronaut to fly on Dragon twice. She is joined by NASA pilot Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Josh Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, who together will make up part of the Expedition 75/76 crew.
A Veteran-Led Crew
Mission managers say hardware preparations are proceeding smoothly. Final integration of the Dragon capsule is complete, with the spacecraft stacked on its trunk, and maintenance is underway on the Falcon 9 booster, the same one that flew Crew-12. That reuse is a hallmark of the cadence SpaceX has built across its fleet, the same operational tempo that recently let the company mark its 100th orbital mission of 2026 with a Starlink launch. Watkins has described a busy stay ahead, with station maintenance, spacewalks, cargo operations and a full slate of science.
A Packed Research Agenda
Once aboard, the crew will run experiments aimed squarely at problems back on Earth. Their work includes studying human stem cell-derived tissues to combat heart disease and Parkinson's disease, improving understanding of the blood-flow abnormalities seen on long missions, and advancing crop production that will matter for deep-space travel. The astronauts will also test new diagnostic medical equipment to monitor their own health. According to NASA's Crew-13 mission page, the flight continues the steady commercial-crew rotation that keeps the orbiting laboratory staffed and productive.
Cybertrucks Join the Launch Team
In a distinctly Musk-era twist, Tesla Cybertrucks will stand ready at the pad to evacuate the crew in the event of an emergency before launch, the first time the trucks have taken on that role. Engineers certified the vehicles to start with a gloved hand and confirmed astronauts could exit while wearing bulky pressure suits. The crew will also debut SpaceX's new "Rev. 3" spacesuits, featuring easier donning and doffing and adjustments for spinal growth on orbit, while "Grace" itself sports new metal mud flaps for its abort thrusters. The same forward-looking spirit is driving SpaceX's ground expansion, including its planned $100 billion Starbase in Louisiana.
With Dragon integrated, the booster in work and the crew deep into final training, Crew-13 is shaping up as another confident step in SpaceX's steady march of human spaceflight. If the schedule holds, four astronauts will be settling into the station by mid-September.
