‘An amazing ride’: SpaceX flight led by first Black female commander sets US speed record

KUALA LUMPUR, 2 OCTOBER 2026 —

Four astronauts docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday following an eight-hour express flight that set a new United States speed record, marking a historic milestone as Jessica Watkins became the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule, named “Grace,” pulled up at the station after launching from Cape Canaveral at 11.10am local time (1510 GMT), completing the journey in seven hours and 55 minutes.

This rapid transit significantly outpaced previous American missions, with the last crew launching from US soil taking more than 30 hours to reach the outpost. The flight, designated Crew-13, was led by Watkins, a geologist who previously worked with Nasa’s Mars rover Curiosity and made her second trip to the station after a lengthy stay in 2022.

The mission, which had been delayed by three weeks to repair a leaking fuel system in the Dragon capsule, proceeded after thick clouds that threatened to halt the countdown cleared sufficiently for a safe liftoff. In a live broadcast on Nasa TV, the capsule was seen gliding gently toward the stationary ISS, with both vehicles traveling through space at approximately 17,500 mph (28,100 km/h).

Upon docking, the new arrivals—Americans Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Joshua Kutryk, and Russian Sergey Teteryatnikov—floated into the station through a pressurized vestibule. Watkins addressed colleagues on Earth via the Nasa livestream, stating, “We are so excited to be here. This is truly a special place. It’s amazing and kind of ironic to think that it’s such a short trip to get here because the journey to get here has been long.”

The crew members, who will replace four astronauts who have been living at the orbiting laboratory since February, are all newcomers to space except for Watkins. Delaney is a retired marine, Kutryk is a colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and Teteryatnikov is a former submariner. Their six-month stay at the ISS begins with a focus on scientific research and station maintenance.

Kutryk, whose wife Heather is due to give birth to their third child in late November, expressed his sentiments on the livestream, saying it “feels really good” to represent his country in space. He added that he was “looking forward to a good mission after some sleep.

That’s what I’m gonna go do next.” Nasa manager Dana Weigel noted on the eve of liftoff that “a lot of life-changing things can happen over six months,” and the space agency promised to keep Kutryk connected to his family, a commitment echoed by the Canadian Space Agency.

Historical context underscores the significance of this birth-in-orbit scenario. In 2004, Nasa provided a radio link between astronaut Mike Fincke and his wife’s delivery room during the birth of their daughter. Five years later, Randy Bresnik, who is commander of next year’s Artemis III mission, dialed in to his wife’s hospital from orbit.

In contrast, Austrian astronaut Franz Viehböck learned of his daughter’s birth in 1991 only the day after he launched to the Soviet Union’s Mir space station, as communication delays prevented immediate notification. These precedents highlight the evolving capabilities of space communication and the personal stakes involved in long-duration missions.

The mission’s designation, Crew-13, pays homage to Apollo 13, the harrowing 1970 moonshot that ended with the astronauts’ safe return. References to the number 13 were prominent throughout the launch day, with Watkins and her crew riding to the launch pad in black Teslas bearing license plates that read “Lucky 13.” They also carried a small crocheted golden dragon named Lucky, adorned with a four-leaf clover, into orbit.

Watkins remarked from orbit, “We figured it wouldn’t hurt to bring a little of our own luck just in case, but clearly we don’t need it,” noting that they were “four of the luckiest humans on or off planet Earth.” After liftoff, she radioed, “Thanks for an amazing ride,” encapsulating the crew’s sentiment regarding the smooth and record-breaking ascent.

This launch represents the 13th crew sent to the ISS by SpaceX for Nasa, excluding the 2020 test flight. The speed of the Crew-13 mission sets a benchmark for future American spaceflight, demonstrating the efficiency gains achieved by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule.

The quick transit time is influenced by the relative distance between the ISS and the spacecraft at launch, but the seven-hour, 55-minute duration marks a significant improvement over the 30-hour journey of the previous US-launched crew. This efficiency is critical for maintaining the station’s operational tempo and reducing the time astronauts spend in transit, thereby maximizing their time for scientific work and station upkeep.

The launch occurred amid a busy week for SpaceX, which has been expanding its operational capabilities. Three hours after Crew-13 blasted off, SpaceX launched a Falcon rocket from California carrying more than 100 mini satellites. Another Falcon rocket was scheduled to launch late Thursday night from Florida, carrying a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office.

These launches coincide with the company’s massive Starship reaching orbit for the first time, a development that signals a new era in heavy-lift spaceflight. The simultaneous execution of crewed and commercial missions underscores SpaceX’s role as a central pillar of the US space economy, handling both government contracts and private commercial payloads.

For the Malaysian and regional markets, the continued dominance of SpaceX in the launch market highlights the growing importance of space-based infrastructure for telecommunications and data transmission. While the immediate impact on Malaysian equities is indirect, the reliability and cost-effectiveness of SpaceX launches influence the broader global technology sector, including satellite communications and earth observation services.

The success of the Crew-13 mission reinforces the viability of commercial spaceflight, a sector that is increasingly integrated into global supply chains and technological innovation. As space activities expand, regional players may look to leverage these advancements for their own satellite needs, potentially driving demand for related services and technologies in the Asia-Pacific region.

The mission’s success also serves as a testament to the international cooperation in space, with astronauts from the US, Canada, and Russia working together on the ISS, a model that could inspire further regional collaborations in technology and science.

Related: SpaceX