NASA selects Tesla Cybertruck for launchpad emergency evacuations on Crew-13 mission

NASA has approved the use of Tesla’s Cybertruck electric pickup as the emergency evacuation vehicle at the Kennedy Space Center launchpad for the upcoming Crew‑13 mission scheduled for 12 September 2026. The Cybertruck will replace the heavily armored Mine‑Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles that have been used for more than a decade, with NASA citing the truck’s speed, maneuverability and stainless‑steel exoskeleton as advantages for rapid exit from a launch pad incident.

The decision, announced alongside details of the Crew‑13 crew—NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov—also reduces the need for a dedicated MRAP team and eases competition for government‑managed rescue resources. Although the Cybertruck has faced past reliability concerns, NASA officials said its design is suitable for the unique demands of launch‑pad emergencies.