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International Space Station

  • Rocket Reaches Max Q

    SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has reached Max Q, or maximum dynamic pressure.

    Max Q marks the moment of peak aerodynamic stress on the rocket. This happens as the vehicle is accelerating and climbing through thick lower atmosphere, creating a peak in the force of air pushing against the rocket’s structure.

  • Liftoff! NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 Begins Journey to International Space Station

    SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon crew spacecraft rocketed into the blue Florida sky, as NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov began their approximately 7-hour, 50-minute journey to the International Space Station. Liftoff occurred at 11:10 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex […]

  • Up Next: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 Liftoff

    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a Dragon spacecraft atop carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida ahead of launch on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

    Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon crew spacecraft Grace, with NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, is now less than five minutes away. Everything is proceeding according to schedule, and all is looking good for the launch of NASA’s […]

  • Dragon is ‘Go’ for Launch, Falcon 9 Fueling Underway

    White rocket on a launch pad.

    Confirmation that the Dragon crew spacecraft is “go” for launch came through for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission. SpaceX had begun fueling the Falcon 9 rocket. Loading of rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) and first stage liquid oxygen loading is underway. Fueling of the second stage will begin in a few minutes. Teams continue to monitor weather at […]

  • Crew Access Arm Retracted

    Rocket on pad.

    The crew access arm has retracted, and the Dragon spacecraft’s launch escape system will be armed momentarily. This system allows NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 crew members to escape safely in the unlikely event of an anomaly from the moment the system is armed until the time they reach orbit – a timespan of roughly 12 minutes. […]

  • NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 Mission Liftoff Now Just an Hour Away

    SpaceX Falcon 9 on the launch pad.

    The SpaceX closeout team left the crew access arm, which will soon retract away from the Dragon spacecraft. Launch, set for 11:10 a.m. EDT, is now a little less than an hour away. Stay with us here on the blog as the countdown continues. We’ll keep you updated on the key milestones throughout this historic […]

  • Crew-13 Research Advances Health, Food, and Deep‑Space Science

    Astronauts in blue suits in a lab with others sampling microgreens.

    For over 25 years, people have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies that help prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 crew members are set to join this long legacy, conducting science aboard the orbiting laboratory to advance research for […]

  • Meet the Crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13

    Four astronauts in white space suits in front of a black background in a two-by-two photo collage.

    This will be the second flight to the space station for Jessica Watkins, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017. Watkins grew up in Lafayette, Colorado, and earned an undergraduate degree in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University in California, as well as a doctorate in geology from the University of California, […]

  • Hatch Closed on Crew-13 SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft

    Teams with SpaceX close the hatch on the Dragon spacecraft for Crew-13 on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, ahead of launch to the International Space Station.

    With communication checks complete, the hatch is closed on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft Grace. This is the spacecraft’s second flight to the International Space Station; it made its maiden flight in 2025 on Axiom Mission 4. Liftoff for Crew-13, including NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos […]