From fighter pilots to geologists: Meet the astronauts of SpaceX Crew-13

The crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency and Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia’s Roscosmos. NASA said the spacecraft reached the station in just 7 hours and 55 minutes after launching from Florida on October 1, making it the fastest an American spacecraft has travelled from launch to the space station.

For the four crew members, however, the journey is more than a new speed record. For three of them, Crew-13 is their first trip to space. For Watkins, it is a return to the station and another milestone in her career.

Jessica Watkins, the geologist returning to space

Watkins was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017. She grew up in Lafayette, Colorado, and studied geological and environmental sciences at Stanford University before earning a doctorate in geology from the University of California, Los Angeles, NASA said.

Her career has taken her from studying rocks on Earth to studying the surface of Mars. As a geologist, Watkins worked on research related to Mars and was part of the science team for NASA’s Curiosity rover at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

Her first trip to space came in 2022, when she flew aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission. She spent 170 days in space during Expeditions 67 and 68.

Crew-13 brings another milestone. Watkins will become the first NASA astronaut to fly to the space station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft twice, according to NASA.

Luke Delaney, from naval aviation to his first spaceflight

For Luke Delaney, Crew-13 marks his first journey into space. NASA selected Delaney as an astronaut in 2021. The Florida native studied mechanical engineering at the University of North Florida and later earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in California, NASA said.

Before joining NASA’s astronaut corps, Delaney built a career around military aviation and flight testing. He served as a naval aviator and took part in exercises across the Asia-Pacific region. He also flew missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

His work as a test pilot involved evaluating new aircraft systems and training other test pilots. Later, at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, he worked as a research pilot supporting airborne science missions. Crew-13 now takes him from testing aircraft in the atmosphere to operating a spacecraft in orbit.

Joshua Kutryk, the Canadian fighter pilot turned astronaut

Joshua Kutryk will also experience spaceflight for the first time with Crew-13. A native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Kutryk was selected as a Canadian Space Agency astronaut in 2017. Before becoming an astronaut, he served as a CF-18 fighter pilot, flying missions connected to Canada’s commitments to NATO, the United Nations and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, NASA said.

Kutryk later worked as an experimental and operational test pilot at the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment in Cold Lake, Alberta.

His academic background is equally broad. NASA said he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada and graduated from the United States Air Force Test Pilot School in California. He also holds master’s degrees in space studies, flight test engineering and defence studies.

Sergey Teteryatnikov, from naval engineering to orbit

Sergey Teteryatnikov is making his first trip to the International Space Station as part of Crew-13. A Roscosmos cosmonaut, Teteryatnikov graduated from the Naval Academy in St. Petersburg in 2011 with a degree focused on ship power plant operations, NASA said.

He spent the early part of his career working in naval engineering, including roles involving underwater vessels and specialised engine room operations.

Teteryatnikov was selected for the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center’s Cosmonaut Corps in 2021. He has served as a test cosmonaut since 2023. Crew-13 is his first opportunity to take that training beyond Earth and join the international team aboard the space station.

The four astronauts arrive at the space station with very different backgrounds. Watkins brings experience in planetary geology and a previous long-duration spaceflight. Delaney comes from naval aviation and flight testing. Kutryk brings experience as a fighter pilot and test pilot, while Teteryatnikov comes from naval engineering and Russia’s cosmonaut training programme. NASA said the Crew-12 astronauts, Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, could return to Earth as early as October 5.