Brief
SpaceX Crew‑13 sets U.S. speed record on eight‑hour trip to ISS
Jessica Watkins leads the Crew‑13 mission that arrived at the International Space Station in a record‑fast eight‑hour transit.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Four astronauts lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Oct. 1, 2026, and docked with the International Space Station on Oct. 2 after a 7‑hour‑55‑minute flight, setting a U.S. speed record, the New York Post reported.
What happened
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying SpaceX’s Crew‑13 launched at 11:10 a.m. EDT following a three‑week delay to repair a fuel‑system leak on the Dragon capsule. Thick clouds threatened the countdown, but the sky cleared enough for liftoff. The crew—Commander Jessica Watkins, NASA astronaut Luke Delaney, Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov—reached the ISS in under eight hours, the quickest U.S. crewed transit to date.
What the reports add
The article notes that Watkins became the first Black woman to command a crewed orbital mission and that the mission will last six months, replacing a quartet that has been aboard since February. It also mentions a small crocheted golden dragon named Lucky carried on board for good luck.
What was said
Watkins radioed, “Thanks for an amazing ride,” after liftoff and later said, “We figured it wouldn’t hurt to bring a little of our own luck just in case, but clearly we don’t need it,” describing the crew as “four of the luckiest humans on or off planet Earth.”
How it came about
The launch followed a three‑week postponement to fix the Dragon capsule’s leaking fuel system, a delay that pushed the mission to the early morning of Oct. 1. The crew’s rapid transit was aided by the ISS’s favorable orbital position at launch time.
Key facts
- Crew‑13 launched from Cape Canaveral on Oct. 1, 2026 at 11:10 a.m. EDT (nypost.com)
- The flight took 7 hours 55 minutes, a U.S. speed record for crewed missions (nypost.com)
- Commander Jessica Watkins is the first Black woman to lead a crewed orbital mission (nypost.com)
- The crew consists of Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk, and Sergey Teteryatnikov (nypost.com)
- The mission will last six months, replacing a quartet that has been on the ISS since February (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Astronauts set US speed record during trip to International Space Station”
