NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission quartet arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard T-38 jets on Sept. 26, 2026, setting the stage for an International Space Station launch scheduled for no earlier than Oct. 1 at 11:10 a.m. EDT. The incoming crew—consisting of Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryantnikov, NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, and NASA astronaut Luke Delaney—will spend roughly six months aboard the orbiting laboratory joining the Expedition 75 crew, according to mission schedules and NASA coverage.
Arrival at Kennedy Space Center and Crew Lineup
The four crew members landed at the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch and Landing Facility under clear skies and a light breeze. Joshua Kutryk and Luke Delaney piloted the pair of T-38 jets arriving from NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Jessica Watkins flew alongside Kutryk, while Sergey Teteryantnikov rode in the aircraft piloted by Delaney.
The flight marks a spaceflight debut for Kutryk, Teteryantnikov, and Delaney. Watkins, serving as the commander of the SpaceX Crew-13 mission, makes her second trip to space. “Arriving here today for us as a crew represents both kind of the culmination and the beginning of a journey for us,” Watkins told reporters on Sept. 26, noting that the team has trained together for over a year.
Overcoming Dragon Spacecraft Repairs
The mission’s arrival in Florida follows a brief delay prompted by technical issues on the ground. The crew was originally slated to lift off on Sept. 12, but an oxidizer leak in their Dragon spacecraft, named Grace, forced NASA and SpaceX to postpone the flight. NASA announced the schedule adjustment in an Aug. 29 Commercial Crew Program blog post.
SpaceX technicians subsequently replaced an oxidizer valve within the Dragon propulsion system, an update NASA confirmed via an ISS blog post on Sept. 16. “We are, first of all, so grateful to the teams on the ground, the SpaceX team here at the Cape, who were able to identify the issue with the vehicle on the ground with time to address it,” Watkins said during the arrival press conference.
Did you know? Joshua Kutryk is the second Canadian astronaut scheduled to fly to space in 2026, following Jeremy Hansen’s Artemis 2 mission in April. Meanwhile, mission pilot Luke Delaney is a Florida native who grew up watching Space Shuttle launches near the Kennedy Space Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the SpaceX Crew-13 launch scheduled?
Launch is targeted for no earlier than 11:10 a.m. EDT (1510 UTC) on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Who is commanding the Crew-13 mission?
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins serves as the mission commander, making her second flight to space.
Why was the launch delayed from September 12?
NASA and SpaceX delayed the original launch date after detecting an oxidizer leak in the Dragon spacecraft Grace, prompting teams to replace a faulty propulsion system valve.
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