JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — University of North Florida alumnus Luke Delaney launched into space on Thursday from Cape Canaveral, serving as the pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying Delaney and three fellow crew members is scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station around 7 p.m. to begin a long-duration science mission.
Delaney, who earned a mechanical engineering degree from UNF in 2006, is joined on the mission by NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.
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Members of the UNF community gathered both at Cape Canaveral and on the university’s Jacksonville campus to watch the spacecraft lift off.
UNF interim President Angela Falconetti and Executive Vice President and Provost Karen Patterson watched the launch from a special viewing area at NASA.
Falconetti praised Delaney’s achievement following the launch. “UNF alumnus and pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission Luke Delaney is a shining inspiration to the University community he orbits over today,” Falconetti said. “Watching the launch from the stands was the thundering thrill of a lifetime for me as UNF president and for Provost Patterson. Your Osprey family wishes you a successful mission and happy landings, Luke!”
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On campus, dozens of students, faculty and staff gathered in UNF’s Science and Engineering building to watch the broadcast. Dr. Alexandra Schonning, a mechanical engineering professor at UNF who previously taught Delaney, attended the gathering. “Luke was great to have in class,” Schonning said. “He was always pleasant, sharp and well prepared, an all-around good student. It’s joyful and emotional to watch because Luke is an inspiration for our students. It’s nice to see our Ospreys fly high.”
Dr. Jack Hewitt, physics professor and department chair, brought his wife and 9-year-old daughter to watch the launch on campus. “I really hope this inspires our students in physics, engineering, biology and other sciences that they too can end up working for NASA and possibly piloting a mission to space one day,” Hewitt said.
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Delaney grew up in DeBary, near Cape Canaveral. He enlisted in the Marine Corps after high school and served for 22 years as a naval aviator. After earning his bachelor’s degree from UNF in 2006, Delaney completed a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Following his retirement from the Marine Corps in 2020, Delaney worked as a research pilot and aerospace engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. NASA selected him as an astronaut candidate in 2021.
After reaching the space station, the crew will conduct a brief handover with astronauts from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission. The Crew-12 crew is expected to begin its return flight to Earth around Monday, Oct. 5.
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