NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission arrived at the International Space Station on October 1, 2026, setting a U.S. record with a flight time of just 7 hours and 55 minutes. The four arriving crew members expanded the orbiting laboratory’s population to 11 people ahead of the upcoming departure of Crew-12.
Falcon 9 Flight Sets U.S. Record
The spacecraft completed its trip to the orbital outpost in 7 hours and 55 minutes, establishing a new U.S. record for the fastest crewed journey time by an American spacecraft to the station.
The journey began when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Previous milestones in the Commercial Crew Program include SpaceX’s Demo-2 mission in 2020 carrying Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, which marked the first commercially built and operated American spacecraft to carry NASA astronauts to orbit. SpaceX also became the first company to reuse a Crew Dragon for a NASA astronaut mission during Crew-2 in 2021 after its Demo-2 flight the year prior, alongside achieving the first reuse of a Falcon 9 booster for a crewed NASA launch.
Orbital Alignment Dictates Transit Speeds
Because the facility travels at roughly 17,400 mph in low Earth orbit, approaching vehicles must carefully match both speed and position.
When the station sits in an optimal position relative to the launch site, a spacecraft can take a direct and rapid trajectory. When alignments are less favorable, missions require extended orbital maneuvers to gradually close the distance.
Crew-13 Arrives as Crew-12 Prepares for Departure
The arrival of Crew-13 brought the number of people aboard the station to 11, according to updates shared by NASA. Following a day of rest and acclimatization to weightlessness, the new arrivals began unpacking equipment, transferring standard safety gear into the spacecraft, and reviewing emergency roles and responsibilities.
Meanwhile, the homebound Crew-12 members spent days packing cargo, testing pressure suits, and configuring Dragon systems. Weather permitting, NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are slated to begin their return trip to Earth off the coast of California as early as Monday, Oct. 5. Before departure, station command will formally transfer from Jessica Meir to Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov during a farewell and change-of-command ceremony.