SpaceX launched a crew including NASA's Jessica Watkins, the first Black female astronaut to lead a space mission, on an eight-hour journey that set a US speed record for reaching the International Space Station. This marks Watkins' second visit to the ISS and includes astronauts from Canada and Russia, replacing four current residents who have been there since February. Among them is Joshua Kutryk whose wife will give birth while he's in orbit. The mission was named Crew-13, referencing the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission that safely returned its crew.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Joshua Kutryk, a Canadian astronaut and former Royal Canadian Air Force colonel, launched into space from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday, October 5th, at 11:10 AM ET. Kutryk is part of the SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) alongside NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, as well as Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The launch was delayed due to a fuel system leak but ultimately proceeded successfully despite inclement weather conditions. Kutryk's former Grade 6 teacher Ted Hupé, now retired, watched the launch live from Canada. During their six-month mission aboard the ISS, the astronauts will conduct various scientific experiments focusing on human health and performance in space. Notably, Kutryk’s wife is expecting to give birth while he is away on his long-duration mission, marking him as the fourth Canadian astronaut to undertake such a prolonged stay at the ISS since 2004 when NASA established a radio link between astronauts and their families for significant life events. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket successfully carried the crew into orbit, with the reusable booster returning safely to Earth after separation. The Crew Dragon capsule docked with the ISS around 7 PM ET on Thursday, completing an approximately eight-hour journey from launch to docking.
Written for “SpaceX Launch To ISS” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 19 other(s) covering the same event.
Four astronauts pulled up at the International Space Station on Thursday after launching on an eight-hour express that set a US speed record, and that created further history with the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit.
asserted
that → pull → orbit
SpaceX launched commander Jessica Watkins and her crew for Nasa after a three-week delay to fix their Dragon capsule’s leaking fuel system.
asserted
SpaceX → launch → system
Thick clouds threatened all morning to halt the countdown but in the end, the skies cleared enough to allow for a safe liftoff.
asserted
skies → threaten → liftoff
With the late-morning launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Watkins became the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit.
asserted
Watkins → become → orbit
A geologist who worked with Nasa’s Mars rover Curiosity a decade ago, Watkins is making her second trip to the space station following a lengthy stay in 2022.
“Thanks for an amazing ride,” Watkins radioed following liftoff.
asserted
Watkins → work → liftoff
Although their stay at the ISS will last a long six months, the flight there was the quickest yet not only for Elon Musk’s company, but any American entity, including Nasa.
asserted
flight → last → Nasa
The space station’s convenient location when the astronauts launched enabled the fast transit.
asserted
astronauts → launch → transit
The fresh arrivals include a Canadian man whose wife will give birth while he’s away.
asserted
he → include → birth
They will replace four astronauts who have been living at the orbiting laboratory since February.
asserted
who → replace → February
This was the 13th crew launched by SpaceX for Nasa, not counting 2020’s test flight.
asserted
This → launch → flight
The Crew-13 designation in their mission patch pays homage to Apollo 13, the harrowing 1970 moonshot that ended with the astronauts’ safe return.
asserted
that → pay → return
References to the number 13 abounded Thursday.
asserted
References → abound → number
Watkins and her crew rode to the launch pad in black Teslas bearing plates that read “Lucky 13”.
asserted
that → ride → Lucky
They also carried up a small crocheted golden dragon named Lucky with a four-leaf clover around its neck.
asserted
They → carry → neck
“We figured it wouldn’t hurt to bring a little of our own luck just in case, but clearly we don’t need it,” Watkins said from orbit, noting they were “four of the luckiest humans on or off planet Earth”.
Heather Kutryk will give birth while her husband is orbiting Earth, making him the fourth man to become a father while doing so.
asserted
him → figure → Earth
Heather is due to give birth to their third child in late November.
asserted
Heather → give → November
“A lot of life-changing things can happen over six months,” Nasa manager Dana Weigel said on the eve of liftoff, noting that the space agency would do its best to keep Kutryk looped in to his family.
asserted
agency → change → family
The Canadian Space Agency also promised to support the family.
asserted
Agency → promise → family
In 2004, Nasa provided a radio link between space station astronaut Mike Fincke and his wife’s delivery room during the birth of their daughter.
asserted
Nasa → provide → daughter
Five years later, Randy Bresnik, commander of next year’s Artemis III mission, dialed in to his wife’s hospital from orbit.
asserted
Bresnik → dial → orbit
The happy news traveled more slowly for Austrian astronaut Franz Viehböck.
asserted
news → travel → Viehböck
His daughter was born a few hours after he launched to the Soviet Union’s Mir space station in 1991.
asserted
he → bear → 1991
He was not informed until the next day.
asserted
He → inform → day
Three hours after Crew-13 blasted off, SpaceX launched a Falcon rocket from California with more than 100 mini satellites.
asserted
SpaceX → blast → satellites
Another Falcon was set to soar late Thursday night from Florida, with a classified satellite for the national reconnaissance office.
asserted
Falcon → set → office
All this comes the same week the company’s massive Starship reached orbit for the first time.
asserted
Starship → come → time
The Aporia
