A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA's Crew-13 docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on October 1, 2026, at 7:05 p.m. EDT, attaching to the Harmony module's forward port, according to NASA's space station blog. The hatch was scheduled to open at about 8:45 p.m. EDT, roughly 100 minutes after docking, letting the four-person crew join the station's Expedition 75 team, NASA said.
Who is on board
Crew-13 is commanded by NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, a geologist who previously worked on the Mars rover Curiosity and flew to the ISS in 2022, according to NASA and a report by AOL. She is joined by NASA pilot Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, NASA's blog states. The four are scheduled to remain on the station for a six-month mission.
With this flight, Watkins became the first Black woman to command a crewed spacecraft mission to the International Space Station, according to AOL.
A record-setting trip
NASA's blog said the Crew-13 Dragon reached the station in 7 hours and 55 minutes after launch, calling it the fastest launch-to-docking time of any U.S. spacecraft in ISS history. AOL similarly reported an approximately 8-hour flight, noting that trips to the station typically take around 15 hours; it attributed the shorter time to favorable ISS orbital positioning at the moment of launch. Watkins described the journey from orbit as "super quick," according to AOL's report.
France's Sophie Adenot prepares to come home
Crew-13's arrival sets up a handover with Crew-12, the outgoing team that includes French astronaut Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA). Adenot launched to the ISS in February 2026 alongside NASA's Jessica Meir (commander) and Jack Hathaway, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, according to France 24. The France 24 report said Adenot's mission, planned to last about eight months, made her the second French woman to fly to space, after Claudie Haigneré's stay aboard the Mir station.
NASA's Crew-12 mission page states the team supported more than a dozen research investigations during their stay, including crystal-growth experiments for pharmaceutical development, cold-atom quantum science, bone-regeneration studies using wood-based scaffolds, antibiotic-resistance research, in-space 3D metal printing, and studies on bone and muscle loss in microgravity.
Crew-12 is scheduled to depart the ISS and return to Earth aboard its Dragon capsule in early October 2026, according to NASA's mission summary, following the standard handover period once a new crew has docked.
Background
The ISS has been continuously staffed through NASA's Commercial Crew Program, under which SpaceX Dragon capsules carry rotating astronaut crews to the station, according to NASA. Crew-13 is the latest in this rotation and includes representatives from NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, and Roscosmos, reflecting the station's multi-agency partnership.
Crew-13 and outgoing Crew-12 at a glance| Mission | Members | Agency | Status as of Oct 2026 |
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| Crew-13 | Jessica Watkins (Cdr), Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk, Sergey Teteryatnikov | NASA, CSA, Roscosmos | Docked Oct 1, 2026; begins ~6-month stay |
|---|
| Crew-12 | Jessica Meir (Cdr), Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, Andrey Fedyaev | NASA, ESA, Roscosmos | Scheduled to depart early Oct 2026 after ~8 months |
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Questions
- Who commanded SpaceX Crew-13?
- NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins commanded Crew-13, becoming the first Black woman to command a crewed mission to the International Space Station, according to AOL's report.
- How long did Crew-13 take to reach the ISS?
- NASA's space station blog says the Dragon capsule docked 7 hours and 55 minutes after launch, which it called the fastest U.S. launch-to-docking time in ISS history.
- Is Sophie Adenot part of Crew-13?
- No. Adenot is a member of the outgoing Crew-12, which launched in February 2026; she is scheduled to return to Earth in early October 2026 as Crew-13 takes over station duties, per France 24 and NASA.
- Who else is on Crew-13 besides Jessica Watkins?
- NASA pilot Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, according to NASA's blog.
- What did Crew-12 do during its mission?
- According to NASA's mission page, Crew-12 supported research including crystal growth for pharmaceuticals, cold-atom quantum science, bone-regeneration studies, antibiotic-resistance research, and in-space 3D metal printing.
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