Four astronauts successfully reach the International Space Station, marking their arrival at the orbiting lab.
SpaceX's Crew-11 Arrives at International Space Station
SpaceX's Crew-11, comprising NASA astronauts Zena Cardman (commander), Mike Fincke (pilot), Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Russia's Oleg Platonov, has successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on August 2, 2025. The Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour carried the four astronauts to the ISS, marking SpaceX's 11th regular manned mission to the station.
The launch took place at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida the previous day, utilizing a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk. Upon arrival, the astronauts were greeted by their colleagues aboard the ISS.
Crew-11 will relieve Crew-10, who are scheduled to return to Earth in a few days. Their mission will overlap with Expedition 73/74, with the crew staying on the ISS for approximately eight to nine months. Their return to Earth is planned for April 2026 with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
The arrival of Crew-11 coincides with the ISS celebrating 25 years of continuous human presence, a significant milestone in sustained space habitation. During their stay, they will continue the ongoing scientific research on the station, which historically includes thousands of microgravity experiments involving biology, physics, earth science, and technology development. While specific experiments for Crew-11 have not been detailed, NASA typically assigns crew members with supporting and conducting a broad portfolio of microgravity and technology demonstrations, as well as international experiments facilitated by NASA, JAXA, and Roscosmos.
Crew-11's mission will contribute to the station's ongoing 25-year legacy of continuous human presence in space. Zena Cardman, the commander of Crew-11, will lead the team during their long-duration mission of about 8-9 months at the ISS, supporting a wide range of scientific research consistent with prior expeditions.
References:
[1] NASA (2025). "Crew-11 Launch and Mission Details". [Online] Available at: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
[2] JAXA (2025). "Crew-11: Japanese Astronaut Kimiya Yui". [Online] Available at: https://global.jaxa.jp/crew/crew_11/yui.html
[3] Roscosmos (2025). "Crew-11: Russian Cosmonaut Oleg Platonov". [Online] Available at: https://www.roscosmos.ru/19328/
- The crew of Crew-11, led by Zena Cardman, will conduct a range of scientific research in health-and-wellness, space-and-astronomy, and technology during their long-duration stay at the International Space Station (ISS).
- As part of their mission, Crew-11, including astronauts from NASA, Japan, and Russia, will continue the station's legacy in conducting ongoing microgravity experiments related to biology, physics, earth science, and technology development.
