Jessica Watkins

“We really wanted to honor their legacy, honor their resilience and their grit, and bring a little bit of that with us,”

Jessica Watkins · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-01

Watkins said this about the crew's Crew-13 designation, which pays homage to the Apollo 13 mission on their mission patch.

“Thanks for an amazing ride,”

Jessica Watkins · said 2026-10-01 · reported 2026-10-01

Watkins radioed the quote after reaching orbit following the successful SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral.

“It's an honor and privilege to represent all of you who have contributed to the success of this mission. With gratitude and grace, Crew-13 is ready to fly.”

Jessica Watkins · said 2026-10-01 · reported 2026-10-01

Watkins replied to launch controllers just before liftoff, thanking the NASA, SpaceX, CSA and Roscosmos teams.