NASA and SpaceX are gearing up for the next crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS), targeting a launch date of July 31 for the Crew-11 mission. The four-member crew will lift off aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:09 p.m. EDT (1609 UTC).
The four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station are pictured inside SpaceX’s Hangar X at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left to right: Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui. Image: SpaceX
Leading the mission is NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, joined by veteran NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. This will mark the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov, the second for Yui, and Fincke’s fourth mission.
While weather remains the usual concern for launch day, NASA and SpaceX teams are closely monitoring the transit time between liftoff and docking with the ISS. A planned orbital boost of the station by a Russian Progress spacecraft could extend the transit period beyond Dragon’s 40-hour consumables limit, potentially requiring a delay to the backup launch date of August 1.
“We protect all our potential contingencies,” said Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager. “If we trip over that limit, we would go to the backup day on August 1.”
Additional opportunities exist from August 1–3, followed by another three-day launch window after August 4.
The Crew-11 mission was moved up from its original August slot to make way for the upcoming CRS-33 Cargo Dragon mission, which will perform an ISS reboost as part of a demonstration for SpaceX’s future U.S. Deorbit Vehicle.
The crew will ride aboard Crew Dragon Endeavour, marking the spacecraft’s sixth flight—a first for the Commercial Crew program. Endeavour previously supported missions Demo-2, Crew-2, Axiom-1, Crew-6, and Crew-8.
“We’ve gone through a full recertification effort with SpaceX to certify Dragon for six flights,” Stich said, noting that some Dragon components are approved for up to 15 missions, the long-term goal for vehicle reuse.
Endeavour has already been fueled at SpaceX’s “Dragon Land” facility ahead of final integration. The Falcon 9 booster, B1094, which previously launched Starlink 12-10 and Axiom-4, will undergo a static fire test before launch day.
NASA is considering extending Crew-11’s stay on the ISS from the standard six months to seven or eight months, aligning with future Soyuz mission profiles. A decision will follow further data reviews post-launch.
The crew will also be aboard the ISS during its 25th anniversary of continuous operations in October—a milestone celebrated by NASA leaders and crew members alike.
“That’s a huge testament to the collaboration of our commercial and international partners,” said Ken Bowersox, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations.
Fincke, who helped assemble the station during the Space Shuttle era, reflected on the achievement:
“I remember when the ISS was just pieces on the ground. It’s amazing what humanity can do when we work together,” he said.
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