Central Florida native heading to space with NASA's Crew-13 ISS Mission
Florida man set to pilot NASA SpaceX Crew-13 mission to ISS
NASA pilot and DeBary, Florida native-Luke Delany is set to pilot the NASA SpaceX Crew-13 on its mission to the ISS. Delany, along with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, CSA’s Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos’ Sergey Teteryatnikov are set to launch no earlier than mid-September, NASA said.
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - Another crew of astronauts is preparing to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) from Florida’s Space Coast, and for one member of the team, the mission marks a major homecoming.
NASA astronaut Luke Delaney, a Central Florida native, is serving as the pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission.
Central Florida Native Turned NASA Astronaut
What we know:
Delaney considers DeBary, Florida, his hometown. He graduated from Deltona High School in 1997 before pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of North Florida (UNF), graduating in 2006. He later earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2016.
Delaney was selected in NASA’s 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class and reported for duty in January 2022. Now preparing for his very first voyage into microgravity, Delaney says the reality of the moment is setting in.
(April 17, 2026) --- NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-13 Pilot Luke Delaney is pictured in his pressure suit and seated inside a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft during a training session at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX
"I’m real excited, the closer we get, the more real it seems," Delaney said.
Growing up in Central Florida watching Space Shuttle launches, Delaney hopes his journey inspires the next generation of local students and dreamers.
"I hope this inspires folks and drives them to pursue something in space exploration. I think there is so much opportunity out there," Delaney said.
What is the Crew-13 Mission?
The SpaceX Crew-13 mission will transport a four-person international crew to the International Space Station to join Expedition 75 for a long-duration research stay.
The Crew 13 Team:
- Jessica Watkins (NASA) – Mission Commander
- Luke Delaney (NASA) – Pilot
- Joshua Kutryk (Canadian Space Agency) – Mission Specialist
- Roscosmos Cosmonaut – Mission Specialist
(April 30, 2026) --- The SpaceX Crew-13 members pose for a portrait in their pressure suits during a preflight training session at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California. From left are, Roscosmos Sergey Teteryatnikov, NASA astronauts Jes
What they're saying:
For CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk, heading to orbit represents a major leap from his roots.
"I grew up on a cattle farm in Canada," Kutryk shared during a media event in Houston.
Once aboard the orbiting laboratory, the crew will manage a busy workload centered on scientific research and orbital upkeep. Key experiments will focus on blood circulation, spaceflight-induced vision changes and stem cell research in microgravity.
Additionally, maintaining the aging space station will take up a significant portion of their daily routine.
"Lots of station maintenance with a lot of work inside and outside," explained Commander Jessica Watkins.
For Delaney, taking on his first spaceflight means leaning into teamwork and adaptation.
"Those are the things I’m looking forward to—adapting to that environment, being a good teammate and achieving whatever goals are before us when we are up there," Delaney said.
What's Next for the Crew?
What's next:
With their final pre-launch events wrapping up in Houston, Crew-13 will soon arrive at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Brevard County.
The astronauts will enter final quarantine protocols, complete dress rehearsals and perform final integration checks on their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket before lifting off from the Space Coast in September.
The Source: FOX 35 Reporter Esther Bower watched the press event with Crew 13 in Houston on 8/3. She also spoke with the local astronaut via zoom.