On 1 October 2026, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying the Crew‑13 expedition to the International Space Station (ISS). The crew is a multinational mix of two NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and a Canadian astronaut—Commander Stephanie Taylor, who is four weeks into her pregnancy and expecting twins. Taylor’s imminent birth will mark the fourth time a parent has been in orbit while a child is born on Earth.
The launch slipped from its original mid‑September slot due to a valve replacement on the Crew Dragon’s propulsion system. The 7 hours 50 minute journey will see the crew dock with the ISS where they will perform research and experiments that pave the way for the next Moon and Mars missions, as released by NASA.
