SpaceX launches 4 astronauts on a fast track to the International Space Station

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a crew of four launches from pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. The crew includes four astronauts: Jessica Watkins, a Canadian who will be the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit; Luke Delaney, a retired Marine; Joshua Kutryk, a colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force; and Sergey Teteryatnikov, a former submariner. The mission is the quickest yet for SpaceX, with a transit time of just eight hours. Watkins became the first Black woman to command a crew to orbit. The crew will replace four astronauts who have been living at the International Space Station since February. This was the 13th crew launched by SpaceX for NASA, not counting 2020's test flight. The crew's mission will last six months, with Watkins and her crew carrying a small crocheted golden dragon named Lucky with a four-leaf clover around its neck. The crew's launch was marked by a geologist who worked with NASA's Mars rover Curiosity a decade ago. The launch was supported by a radio link between space station astronaut Mike Fincke and his wife's delivery room in 2004, and another link between Randy Bresnik and his wife's hospital in 2009. The crew's launch was also noted as a "Lucky 13" event, with the launch pad's black Teslas bearing plates that read "Lucky 13." The launch was the first to include a four-leaf clover around a dragon's neck. The mission was also noted as the fourth man to become a father while orbiting Earth, with Kutryk's wife Heather due to give birth to their third child in late November. The mission was also noted as a "life-changing" event for the family. The launch was also noted as a significant milestone for SpaceX, with the company launching more than 100 mini satellites three hours after Crew-13 launched. The launch was also noted as a part of SpaceX's efforts to reach orbit for the first time with its massive Starship.

• SpaceX launches 4 astronauts on a fast track to the International Space Station
• SpaceX launches 4 astronauts on a fast track to the International Space Station
• SpaceX launches 4 astronauts on a fast track to the International Space Station

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