On October 1, 2026, SpaceX's Crew-13 mission successfully launched four astronauts toward the International Space Station (ISS) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch, captured in a striking black-and-white infrared photograph, showcases the immense heat and power produced by the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule.
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The Crew-13 team includes NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, who will command the mission and is on her second spaceflight, Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. This mission marks the first spaceflight for Kutryk, Delaney, and Teteryatnikov.
Originally scheduled for launch on September 12, the mission faced a delay due to an issue with the Crew Dragon. The rocket reached orbit just ten minutes after liftoff and arrived at the ISS in less than eight hours, an unprecedented achievement for American spacecraft in terms of speed.
The image of the launch illustrates the dramatic power of space travel, with smoke and fire erupting from the rocket as it carries four astronauts away from Earth. Their mission at the ISS involves collaboration with other astronauts on various scientific experiments and maintenance tasks, highlighting the significance of human spaceflight.