Crew-13 Docks with International Space Station in Fastest Dragon Docking

SpaceX's Dragon Grace capsule docked with the International Space Station on October 1 at 7:05 p.m. EDT, approximately 7 hours and 55 minutes after launch, in the fastest Dragon docking operation to date.

The crew includes NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins as mission commander, Luke Delaney as pilot, Josh Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency, and Sergey Tetryatnikov of Roscosmos.

The Crew-12 mission is scheduled to undock from the station as early as October 5 to vacate the docking port for SpaceX's CRS-35 cargo spacecraft. This rapid turnaround between missions reflects the intensity of ongoing operations at the station year-round.

Shortening the transit time to the station reflects an evolution in the navigation and docking capabilities of Dragon capsules, as flight time has been reduced from more than a day in early missions to just a few hours, minimizing crew exposure to demanding conditions during transit. Earlier reports had tracked the launch of the Crew-13 mission from Cape Canaveral on October 1, and its confirmed arrival at the station adds a new chapter to this mission.

What do these terms mean?

Docking: The joining and connecting of a spacecraft to another vehicle or to the space station. International Space Station: A crewed research platform orbiting Earth with international participation. Dragon: A space capsule from SpaceX that transports astronauts and cargo. Cape Canaveral: A U.S. launch site in the state of Florida.