NASA Announces SpaceX Crew-13 Reaches Orbit Carrying Century‑Old Heirloom On Historic Flight

NASA posted an update four days ago confirming that SpaceX’s Crew-13 mission achieved orbit, adding another successful flight to the Commercial Crew Program and reinforcing the partnership that delivers astronauts to the International Space Station.

Astronaut on the flight brought a century‑old heirloom, a family artifact that was highlighted in the launch briefing and noted by ABC News as a personal touch linking the historic mission to past generations.

Crew-13 will dock with the ISS, where the crew will support ongoing scientific experiments and maintain station operations, extending the current expedition’s duration as part of NASA’s continuous presence strategy.

Crew-12 departure has been set for no earlier than October 7, a timeline released alongside the Crew-13 orbit news, indicating NASA’s staggered crew rotation plan that keeps the station staffed without gaps.