CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA's Crew-13 astronaut mission launched successfully today, October 1, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after a two-week delay. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 11:10 a.m. EDT (1510 GMT), marking the fastest Crew Dragon flight to the International Space Station (ISS) with an expected travel time of about 8 hours.

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During a post-launch press conference, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the launch as an "incredible" event and expressed support for the Crew-13 team.

The Falcon 9 rocket carried four astronauts to low Earth orbit aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft named "Grace." This launch marks the second mission for both the spacecraft and for Commander Jessica Watkins of NASA, who becomes the first NASA astronaut to launch aboard a Crew Dragon for a second time. She is joined by mission pilot Luke Delaney from NASA and mission specialists Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency and Sergey Teteryatnikov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos.

The rocket's second stage successfully separated from its booster, B1101, approximately 2.5 minutes after liftoff, which then performed a boostback burn for recovery. B1101 made a successful touchdown about 7 minutes and 40 seconds post-launch. This marks the third launch and recovery for this specific booster.

Watkins thanked Mission Control upon reaching orbit, highlighting the diligence and dedication of the teams involved in the mission. The Crew Dragon spacecraft was scheduled to begin docking procedures with the ISS within 7 hours and 50 minutes, setting a new speed record for an American spacecraft.

As the Crew-13 astronauts reside at the ISS for approximately six months, they will manage station maintenance and conduct various research projects. These projects include studies focused on astronaut health, microgravity's effects on the body, and research relevant to diseases like Parkinson's and heart disease.

Crew-13 is expected to complete its mission in early 2024, when NASA's Crew-14 will launch to replace them. The Crew-12 astronauts, who have been aboard the ISS for about 7.5 months, are set to return to Earth following Crew-13's arrival, which was delayed due to a leak found in Grace's propulsion system in August.

NASA's coverage of Crew-13 will continue with a docking expected around 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT), followed by hatch opening scheduled for 8:25 p.m. EDT (0025 GMT, October 2). The Crew-13 arrival and hatch opening proceedings will be shared via live broadcasts.