NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 launches as astronaut brings 100-year-old heirloom on trip

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - A SpaceX rocket carrying a crew of four astronauts blasted off from Florida on Thursday en route to the International Space Station. The mission, designated Crew 13, is the 13th long-duration space station expedition for NASA, with the astronauts conducting human health and performance studies in orbit.

Piloting the autonomously operated Crew Dragon capsule was Jessica Watkins, a geologist-turned-astronaut who is making her second spaceflight. Joined by fellow NASA astronaut Luke Delaney, a former test pilot and fighter pilot, the crew also included Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, both rookies on their first space mission.

If the launch proceeds as planned, the Falcon 9 rocket's reusable lower-stage booster will detach three minutes after liftoff and autonomously return to Earth for a landing. The upper stage will then propel the Crew Dragon into orbit around Earth, setting its course for a docking with the International Space Station approximately 250 miles above the planet's surface.

The capsule is expected to complete the nine-minute journey to orbit before beginning its eight-hour voyage to the space station, docking with the orbital outpost around 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT).