Astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-11 mission set to blast off for the International Space Station on July 31
The countdown is on for SpaceX's Crew-11 mission, scheduled for a launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 31, 2025. This will mark the sixth time the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, specifically the Crew Dragon Endeavour, is used for an operational crew rotation flight to the International Space Station (ISS).
The four-person crew includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
Zena Cardman will serve as commander on this mission, her first space flight. A biology and marine sciences graduate, Cardman was selected by NASA in 2017 and was previously assigned to the Crew-9 mission but had to be reassigned in August 2024.
Mike Fincke, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, is a veteran astronaut with significant previous ISS experience, having flown on multiple missions including earlier SpaceX Crew Dragon flights. This will be his fourth space flight.
Kimiya Yui from JAXA will be making his second flight to space. During his first mission, he helped assemble laboratory facilities in the Japanese Kibo module on the ISS and conducted 21 different science experiments. Yui was also the first Japanese astronaut to use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), or "Kounotori," Japan's robotic cargo vessel designed to resupply the ISS.
Oleg Platonov, a new cosmonaut, was selected by Roscosmos in 2018 after studying engineering and aircraft operations and serving in the Russian Air Force. This will be his first space flight.
The Crew-11 mission aims to dock at the ISS on Saturday, Aug. 2, with a hatch opening and welcome ceremony following approximately two hours later. The crew will spend six months aboard the ISS conducting scientific experiments and routine station operations, relieving the Crew-10 quartet who will return to Earth a few days later.
The mission's scientific research focuses on preparing for exploration beyond low Earth orbit, studying effects of microgravity, and conducting various biology and human research experiments on the ISS.
The Crew-11 mission will be aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, marking the 11th operational crew rotation flight by SpaceX to the ISS and the 12th human spaceflight under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
- Zena Cardman, a NASA astronaut with a background in biology and marine sciences, will command the SpaceX Crew-11 mission, marking her first space flight.
- Mike Fincke, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and veteran astronaut, will join the Crew-11 mission, making it his fourth space flight.
- Kimiya Yui from JAXA will embark on his second space flight with the Crew-11 mission, bringing his past experience of assembling laboratory facilities and conducting experiments on the ISS.
- Oleg Platonov, a new cosmonaut selected by Roscosmos, will experience space for the first time as part of the Crew-11 mission, marking the 12th human spaceflight under NASA's Commercial Crew Program aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
