NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Astronauts Arrive in Florida Ahead of Historic ISS Mission

Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov was the first to emerge from the NASA Gulfstream jet, followed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, NASA veteran Mike Fincke, and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, who will command the upcoming mission. This marks Cardman’s first trip to space and her first time leading a crew.

“Landing here at the Shuttle Landing Facility, for me personally as a first-time flier, this is the first moment that it’s really starting to feel real,” said Cardman. “This is the beginning of a week when things feel progressively more real as we approach our launch, currently slated for the 31st.”

The SpaceX Crew-11 mission is scheduled to lift off on Thursday, July 31, at 12:09 p.m. EDT (1609 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. A day prior to the crew’s arrival, NASA, SpaceX, and international partners gave the mission a green light following a lengthy flight readiness review.

Over the weekend, SpaceX is preparing for critical pre-launch milestones, including rolling the Falcon 9 rocket out to the pad and performing a full launch day rehearsal, known as a "dry dress," on Monday. Later that same day, the rocket’s nine Merlin engines will undergo a brief static fire test to confirm launch readiness.

The Crew-11 mission features a blend of seasoned space travelers and first-time astronauts. While both Cardman and Platonov are making their inaugural spaceflights, Fincke is a veteran with three missions under his belt, and Yui is preparing for his second journey to space.

“I’ve been on different crews before, but this one is exceptional,” said Fincke, who will serve as the mission’s pilot. “I’m personally looking forward to going back up to the space station. I helped build it, and now I get to see it in its full maturity with six other crewmates.”

Fincke and Yui were initially assigned to Boeing’s Starliner-1 mission, the first operational crewed flight of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. Both had spent years training for that role, but delays in the Commercial Crew Program led to their reassignment to Crew-11.

“I’m very proud of our American industry partners for building some really fine, space-flying machines,” said Fincke. “I’m really excited about Dragon Endeavour. Who could imagine we were going to fly them six times or even more?”

Yui also shared his excitement, particularly about reuniting in orbit with fellow JAXA astronaut and longtime friend Takuya Onishi, currently aboard the ISS with Crew-10. “Onishi-san is my best friend. It’s a very rare opportunity to see my friends in orbit,” Yui said. “And of course, I just want to do a lot of interesting experiments on orbit and work with people from all over the world.”

Once aboard the ISS, Crew-11 will begin a brief handover with Crew-10, who will then return to Earth. The newcomers are scheduled for a six-month stay, though mission duration could be extended to eight months, depending on Roscosmos’ evolving Soyuz schedule. A final decision will be made about a month after docking.

Crew-11’s mission will coincide with a major milestone for NASA: the 25th anniversary of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station, expected this fall.

“We have the privilege of flying with people that have flown before and seen the ISS grow from its very beginning,” Cardman reflected. “It will be our honor to join Expedition 73 onboard the International Space Station and to be there for the 25th anniversary of the ISS. It’s so special to take part in something as grand as this human spaceflight endeavor.”

By Azhar