A record-breaking commute
Space travel is notoriously slow, but the Crew-13 mission just changed the game. Commander Jessica Watkins and her crew docked their SpaceX Dragon "Grace" capsule at the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, completing the trip in just seven hours and 55 minutes. That is officially the fastest journey ever made by a U.S. spacecraft to the station, smashing previous times that often dragged on for over 30 hours.
The launch from Cape Canaveral was nearly scrubbed due to thick clouds, but the skies cleared just in time for an 11:10 a.m. liftoff. The crew—Watkins, Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk, and Sergey Teteryatnikov—arrived at the station while traveling at a casual 17,500 mph.
Making history and playing with luck
This mission is a major W for diversity in space, as Watkins is the first Black woman to ever command a crew to orbit. A geologist who previously worked with the Curiosity Mars rover, Watkins is no stranger to the stars, having spent a significant amount of time on the ISS back in 2022.
The crew leaned into the "13" in their mission patch, despite the usual superstitions. They rolled to the pad in Teslas marked "Lucky 13" and even brought along a tiny crocheted dragon named Lucky to ensure good vibes.
Family matters
Real talk: being an astronaut is a massive commitment. Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk is about to become a father for the third time while he is orbiting the planet, making him the fourth person to reach that milestone in space. NASA and the Canadian Space Agency are working to keep him in the loop with his family during his six-month stay on the ISS.
Why it matters
This mission proves that SpaceX’s logistics are reaching peak efficiency. Being able to get to the ISS in less than a shift’s work makes station operations way more flexible. Plus, it’s giving representation in a field that has historically been closed off to many, marking a solid step forward for NASA’s future.
