Space

NASA names next astronauts to travel to International Space Station

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by Zach Kaplan - 04/28/26 10:15 AM ET

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by Zach Kaplan - 04/28/26 10:15 AM ET

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(NewsNation) — NASA has released the names of the four astronauts expected to travel to the International Space Station this September.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission will transport the astronauts to the space station, where they will stay and conduct research and demonstrations “to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, and benefit people on Earth,” according to the space agency.

The announcement comes less than a month after the Artemis II mission returned to Earth following a historic lunar flyby that took astronauts farther from Earth than any humans in history.

NASA says work done aboard the space station helps to prepare for future Artemis missions, which aim to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and eventually send the first astronauts to Mars. Artemis III is expected to launch mid-2027.

The Crew-13 mission is the thirteenth collaboration between NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX under the Commercial Crew Program, which aims to reliably, safely and cost-effectively transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station through a partnership with private U.S. industry.

Who are the astronauts in NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission?

From left to right, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov (Image: NASA)

The astronauts slated to fly on the mission, planned for mid‑September 2026, include two Americans, a Canadian and a Russian, according to NASA.

Jessica Watkins will serve as the spacecraft commander. She’s been a NASA astronaut since 2017 and will make her second flight to the space station, becoming the first NASA astronaut to launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft twice. A native of Colorado, Watkins was a member of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission in 2022 and spent 170 days in space.

Luke Delaney will serve as the pilot on his first spaceflight. A NASA astronaut since 2021 and a native of Florida, Delaney is a distinguished naval aviator who’s also worked as a research pilot at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia.

Joshua Kutryk will serve as a mission specialist on his first spaceflight. A Canadian Space Agency astronaut since 2017, Kutryk is a fighter pilot and a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School.

Sergey Teteryatnikov is a Russian cosmonaut who will serve as another mission specialist. A test cosmonaut since 2023, Teteryatnikov has previously worked in naval engineering roles and will be making his first trip to the space station.

What is the International Space Station?

The International Space Station has been in orbit for the past 25 years and is operated by five partner agencies: NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos.

The station brings “together international flight crews, multiple launch vehicles, globally distributed launch and flight operations, training, engineering, and development facilities, communications networks, and the international scientific research community,” according to NASA.

More than 290 people from 26 countries have visited the space station since 2000, including 170 Americans.

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