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Astronauts reach the International Space Station (ISS) in a crew spacecraft launched by a rocket, but reaching orbit is only the beginning. The spacecraft then raises or adjusts its orbit, approaches the station, docks, and—after arrival operations—opens its hatch so the crew can enter. The exact spacecraft and travel time depend on the mission: NASA’s 2026 Crew-13 report describes a Dragon trip of about 7 hours 50 minutes, while its Soyuz MS-29 report describes a two-orbit trip of about three hours.
How do astronauts get to the International Space Station?
The journey has four broad stages: launch, orbital maneuvers and rendezvous, docking, and entry into the station. A rocket puts the crew spacecraft into orbit; the spacecraft then navigates to the ISS, which is also orbiting Earth. Once the spacecraft is securely docked, the crew completes arrival operations before opening the hatch.
NASA’s U.S. Commercial Crew Program uses SpaceX Dragon and Boeing Starliner. NASA says it awarded Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contracts to Boeing and SpaceX in 2014. Starliner is intended to transport people and cargo to low Earth orbit; the Crew-13 and Soyuz MS-29 reports offer specific examples of completed crew journeys, not a single schedule that applies to every NASA mission. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
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What happens from launch to arrival?
1. Launch into orbit
The crew spacecraft rides a rocket from a launch site. For Crew-13, SpaceX launched a Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. NASA and SpaceX teams monitor the launch and ascent, with responsibilities that include flight safety and station operations.
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Launch readiness includes more than checking the rocket. NASA says teams assess weather and public-safety criteria near the launch pad and along the rocket’s flight path. Mission managers review departure opportunities and possible splashdown sites, and conduct go/no-go polls during operations. NASA and SpaceX lead safety efforts for Dragon launch, ascent, return, and splashdown in coordination with other agencies and international partners. NASA’s Crew-13 weather and safety review
2. Orbital maneuvers and rendezvous
After separation from the rocket, the spacecraft is in orbit, but it is not automatically at the ISS. It must adjust its path and approach the station, a process called rendezvous. Dragon carries out automatic maneuvers for the approach. SpaceX monitors those maneuvers while NASA monitors station operations.
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3. Docking
Dragon is designed to dock autonomously at the station’s Harmony module. The crew can take manual control and pilot the spacecraft if necessary. NASA’s Soyuz MS-29 report describes an automatic docking at the Prichal module. These are the docking methods reported for those missions; they should not be treated as a complete description of every spacecraft or contingency.
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Docking joins the spacecraft to the station, but the crew does not enter immediately. Arrival operations take place first; the hatch opens after those operations, allowing the crew to come aboard the ISS.
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How long does it take to get to the ISS?
There is no single travel time for NASA crew missions. The two NASA mission reports below describe different spacecraft and mission profiles, so their durations are examples—not a head-to-head measure of which vehicle is generally faster.
| Mission example | Launch and spacecraft | Reported trip to the station | Docking reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crew-13 (NASA, 2026) | SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon; Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | Approximately 7 hours, 50 minutes for this mission | Dragon autonomous docking at Harmony, with crew manual control available if necessary |
| Soyuz MS-29 (NASA, 2026) | Soyuz; Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | Two orbits and approximately three hours for this mission | Automatic docking at Prichal |
The travel time depends on the particular flight profile. NASA’s reported Crew-13 and Soyuz MS-29 durations do not establish a standard Dragon or Soyuz journey time. NASA’s Crew-13 mission report · NASA’s Soyuz MS-29 mission report
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What distinguishes Dragon from Soyuz in these examples?
The missions differ in launch location, spacecraft, reported journey duration, and docking destination. Crew-13 launched on a Falcon 9 from Florida and used Dragon’s autonomous docking capability at Harmony, with manual crew control available if needed. Soyuz MS-29 launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan and was reported to have docked automatically at Prichal after two orbits. The differing times describe those flights’ profiles; they do not prove that one spacecraft is universally faster.
NASA says Dragon can carry up to seven passengers, but it carries up to four crew on NASA missions. Those figures describe capacity, not the crew complement of every individual flight. NASA Commercial Crew Program Press Kit
Why does the journey matter beyond the ride?
Getting a crew to the ISS depends on a coordinated sequence: rocket launch, spacecraft navigation, station operations, and docking. NASA Associate Administrator Dr. Lori Glaze described the role of these flights this way: “Our steady cadence of commercial crew launches demonstrates the essential role the International Space Station plays in sustaining our presence in Earth’s orbit and sharpening the tools we’ll take forward to the Moon and Mars.” NASA’s Crew-13 launch statement
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