As of September 28, 2026, NASA and SpaceX were targeting the Crew-13 launch for no earlier than 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, October 1, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. That is 12:10 p.m. in Brasília and 15:10 UTC. The mission will carry four crew members to the International Space Station in a Dragon spacecraft launched by a Falcon 9.
The most important point for anyone planning to follow the mission is to separate the launch target from final operational confirmation. On September 25, NASA, SpaceX, and international partners completed the Flight Readiness Review and polled favorably to continue preparations. Even so, NASA still describes October 1 at 11:10 a.m. EDT as a target and uses the wording “no earlier than.” The date is officially planned, but it can still change before or during the countdown.
Crew-13 time on October 1
| Milestone | Time stated by NASA | Brasília time | Status on Sep. 28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | October 1, 11:10 a.m. EDT | October 1, 12:10 p.m. | Official target, no earlier than this time |
| Flight to the ISS | Less than 9 hours if launch occurs at the target time | Same interval | Mission plan |
| Docking | About 8 p.m. EDT, October 1 | About 9 p.m., October 1 | Planned and dependent on launch and real-time operations |
| Hatch opening and station ingress | After docking and pressurization | After docking and pressurization | No precise time published in the sources checked on Sep. 28 |
The one-hour difference exists because on October 1, 2026, the U.S. East Coast is on EDT, which is UTC-4, while Brasília time is UTC-3. For readers in other time zones, the launch target is 15:10 UTC.
Who is flying on Crew-13
| Crew member | Agency | Role | Relevant experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jessica Watkins | NASA | Commander | Second spaceflight; previously flew on Crew-4 and Expeditions 67 and 68 |
| Luke Delaney | NASA | Pilot | First spaceflight |
| Joshua Kutryk | CSA, Canadian Space Agency | Mission specialist | First spaceflight |
| Sergey Teteryatnikov | Roscosmos | Mission specialist | First trip to the International Space Station |
After arrival, all four are expected to become members of Expedition 75. NASA's mission page describes Crew-13 as SpaceX's 13th crew rotation mission for the agency and the 14th Dragon flight with people under the Commercial Crew Program, counting the Demo-2 test flight.
Launch-to-docking sequence
- Liftoff: Falcon 9 is scheduled to depart SLC-40 carrying Dragon and the four crew members.
- Orbit and transit to the station: after launch, Dragon enters orbit and performs the approach needed to reach the ISS. For the October 1 opportunity, NASA estimates arrival in less than nine hours.
- Docking: if liftoff occurs at the target time, docking is planned for about 8 p.m. EDT, around 9 p.m. in Brasília, at the forward-facing port of the Harmony module.
- ISS ingress: after docking, the sequence includes pressurization, hatch opening, and crew ingress. The official sources checked had not yet published an exact time for this stage.
This timeline helps readers follow the mission without treating every time as fixed. Rendezvous with the station depends on the actual launch time and on-orbit operations, so a launch-time change can also shift the docking schedule.
Where to watch Crew-13 live
The most direct public option is NASA Live, which lists programming carried on the free NASA+ platform and also points to coverage on third-party services and social channels. On September 28, the page already displayed the Crew-13 launch target, but it had not yet posted a specific start time for launch coverage.
For last-minute changes, use the official Crew-13 mission page and the official Crew-13 blog. These channels collect schedule changes, preparation milestones, and mission updates. The SpaceX launches page also listed Crew-13 for October 1 at 15:10 UTC when checked on September 28.
What the readiness review “go” means
The September 25 Flight Readiness Review result cleared teams to continue preparing for launch. It did not turn the target time into an absolute guarantee of liftoff. NASA's own wording continued to place Crew-13 at “no earlier than” 11:10 a.m. EDT on October 1.
That distinction matters because the Crew-13 schedule had already changed. On August 29, NASA and SpaceX said they were adjusting the launch date to address an oxidizer leak detected in Dragon's propulsion system during standard prelaunch processing. Teams performed additional testing and data review, and the mission later progressed to the September 25 readiness review.
For readers, the practical rule is straightforward: October 1 at 12:10 p.m. Brasília time is the best reference available as of September 28, but the final check should be made on official channels close to liftoff. The docking estimate of about 9 p.m. Brasília time is also tied to launch occurring on schedule.
Crew-13 at a glance
- Target date: October 1, 2026.
- Target time: 11:10 a.m. EDT, 12:10 p.m. in Brasília, 15:10 UTC.
- Location: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
- Vehicles: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.
- Destination: International Space Station.
- Crew: Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk, and Sergey Teteryatnikov.
- Planned docking: about 8 p.m. EDT, 9 p.m. in Brasília, if launch occurs at the target time.
- Where to follow: NASA Live, the official mission page, the Crew-13 blog, and SpaceX's launches page.
Sources and references
- NASA: official SpaceX Crew-13 mission page
- NASA: teams proceed after the Flight Readiness Review
- NASA: final preparations, launch time, and docking estimate
- NASA: Crew-13 assignments and roles
- NASA: schedule adjustment after oxidizer leak
- NASA Live: programming and ways to watch
- SpaceX: launches page listing Crew-13
