The NASA SpaceX Crew-13 mission launched to the International Space Station on Thursday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. 

The crew onboard the mission utilizing SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryantnikov. 

“So Jessica, Luke, Josh and Sergey are safely in orbit. They are out of their suits at this time, and because of the short phasing period, the crew are going to have an opportunity to rest up a little bit before rendezvousing with the International Space Station,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said following the launch.

“All in-orbit checkouts are complete and Dragon is healthy. It was an incredible launch. I’d like to thank all of those who contribute to it, right from the top with our president, President Trump, all the way through congressional leadership,” he added.

SpaceX said that “during their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct new research to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit humanity on Earth.”

“The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew the Ax-4 mission to and from the space station. This will be the third flight for the first stage supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-12 and one Starlink mission,” according to SpaceX. “Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on Landing Zone 40 (LZ-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.” 

SPACEX LAUNCHES STARSHIP INTO ORBIT FOR FIRST TIME EVER BUT CUTS MISSION SHORT 

NASA said on its website that “during its mission, Crew-13 will investigate practical questions about how to keep crews healthier, grow food reliably in space, and validate the technologies need for deep‑space missions.” 

“For over 25 years, people have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies that help prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 crew members are set to join this long legacy, conducting science aboard the orbiting laboratory to advance research for exploration and deliver benefits for all humanity,” it continued.  

“The crew will use the microgravity environment of the space station to produce human stem cell-derived tissues, which can be used to support personalized medicine, disease modeling, and future pharmaceutical screening for conditions like heart disease and…

A United Nations fact-finding mission said there was evidence to believe that the U.S. committed war crimes during the Iran war, lending credibility to Tehran’s similar claims.

There are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Washington’s forces “committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects,” the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said on Thursday.

The mission pointed out the Tomahawk missile strike on a primary school that killed more than 150 people in the city of Minab, and another airstrike where missiles were used against a “clearly identifiable sports complex and residential area,” killing 22 civilians.

The report said the school was the intended point of impact, and the resulting damage wasn’t the result of an errant strike or collateral damage from an attack on a compound of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard next to the school.

The experts said they found no information indicating that the school was used for military purposes at the time.

A State Department Official said the U.S. does not give credibility to the report’s findings, adding that the UN council “pushes anti-American rhetoric and antisemitism” and “appeases repressive regimes.”

CNBC has reached out to the Pentagon for comments.

The Associated Press reported that the White House has also pushed back on the report, with spokesperson Anna Kelly saying “The only party in this conflict that has committed war crimes is the Iranian regime.”

The fact-finding mission also charged Iran with human rights violations and “crimes against humanity committed.”

Washington had withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council via an executive order from President Donald Trump in February 2025, saying that some UN agencies and bodies, including the council, were acting contrary to the interests of the U.S.

Separately, hopes are rising again that negotiations around the Middle East conflict could restart. According to an MS NOW report, government officials have said that a meeting between Gulf Arab nations, the U.S. and Iran could take place around the time of the United Nations General Assembly next week.

The report comes as the U.S. approved the Iranian delegation’s travel to attend the United Nations General Assembly. A State Department spokesperson said that the delegation will be under travel restrictions, and will be prohibited from purchasing luxury or other goods.

The AP reported that Tehran’s delegation is expected to include President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

— CNBC’s Sam Meredith contributed to this report.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk‘s legal battle against OpenAI kicked off with a bang on Tuesday, with his attorney alleging CEO Sam Altman “stole a charity” to build a massive, profit-driven empire.

In a federal courtroom in Oakland, California, Musk’s lawyer, Steven Molo, told jurors that OpenAI completely abandoned its founding mission to safely develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. 

Instead, Molo argued, OpenAI transformed the organization into a “profit-seeking juggernaut” because leaders were “interested in collecting riches for themselves.”

OPENAI’S NONPROFIT PARENT COMPANY SECURES $100B EQUITY STAKE WHILE RETAINING CONTROL OF AI GIANT

Musk, who co-founded the company in 2015, is seeking $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and its major investor, Microsoft, with the proceeds slated to go to OpenAI’s charitable arm. 

The Tesla and SpaceX founder is also demanding that OpenAI revert to a nonprofit that will “benefit humanity,” and that Altman and the president, Greg Brockman, be removed from leadership. 

Molo emphasized Musk’s foundational role, noting he provided roughly $38 million in initial funding and recruited top talent, saying, “Without Elon Musk, there would be no OpenAI.”

ALTMAN CALLS MUSK’S SPACE DATA CENTER PLANS ‘RIDICULOUS’ FOR CURRENT AI COMPUTING NEEDS

Lawyers representing the ChatGPT inventor are defending the company, claiming Musk’s lawsuit is fueled by jealousy over the company’s soaring $850 billion valuation. 

OpenAI is arguing Musk was aware of and supported the transition to a for-profit model in 2019, and only filed suit after he failed to take over as CEO and launched his own rival AI firm, xAI.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers directly addressed Musk’s recent fiery posts on X, where he dubbed his former partner “Scam Altman.”

JUDGE STRUGGLES TO SEAT JURY IN ELON MUSK INVESTOR TRIAL AMID ‘HATE’ FOR TECH BILLIONAIRE: REPORT

The judge urged Musk to “try to control your propensity to use social media to make things work outside the courtroom,” prompting an agreement from the pair to minimize their online activity during the legal proceedings.

The trial, which is expected to feature explosive testimony from Musk, Altman and Microsoft chief Satya Nadella, could heavily impact OpenAI’s plans for a potential $1 trillion initial public offering (IPO).

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