{"id":23754,"date":"2025-08-01T01:34:42","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T17:34:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/nasa-spacex-launch-crew-11-mission-to-the-iss\/"},"modified":"2025-08-01T01:34:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T17:34:42","slug":"nasa-spacex-launch-crew-11-mission-to-the-iss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/nasa-spacex-launch-crew-11-mission-to-the-iss\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA, SpaceX launch Crew-11 mission to the ISS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>NASA and SpaceX have launched the 11th operational crew rotation mission to the International Space Station under the Commercial Crew Program, Crew-11. Liftoff occurred at 11:43 AM EDT (15:43 UTC) on Friday, Aug. 1, from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch was initially scheduled for Thursday, July 31, but, following a weather violation, the launch was scrubbed at T-01:09 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon&nbsp;<em>Endeavour<\/em> delivered four new NASA, JAXA, and Roscosmos crew members to the floating laboratory for a multi-month stay as part of Expedition 73\/74. Crew-11 will serve as Crew Dragon <em>Endeavour<\/em>\u2018s sixth flight to the Station and Falcon 9 booster B1094\u2019s third flight to space. Following launch and stage separation, B1094 performed a return-to-launch-site landing at SpaceX\u2019s Landing Zone 1 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><em>Endeavour<\/em> and its crew coasted to the International Space Station (ISS) for several hours following launch, ultimately docking to the <em>Harmony<\/em> module\u2019s zenith (space-facing) docking port at 2:26 AM EDT (06:26 UTC) on Saturday, Aug. 2. Crew-11 is expected to stay on the Station for eight to nine months, with a return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean scheduled for April 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Following the arrival of Crew-11 at the ISS, the four-person crew of Crew-10 will enter Crew Dragon <em>Endurance<\/em> and return to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific on Aug. 9.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"\ud83d\ude80 SpaceX Launches NASA's Crew-11 to the International Space Station\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZNO6k5Ptvak?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Crew-11\u2019s astronauts and mission<\/p>\n<p>Crew-11 is comprised of a four-person international crew, complete with astronauts from the United States and Japan, and a cosmonaut from Russia. Crew-11\u2019s commander is NASA astronaut Zena Cardman. Born in Urbana, Illinois, in 1987, Cardman was selected to be a NASA astronaut in 2017 as part of the NASA Group 22 (\u201cTurtles\u201d) astronaut class. Before her astronaut selection, she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a Bachelor\u2019s of Science degree in Biology and a Master\u2019s of Science degree in Marine Sciences. At the time of her selection, Cardman was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at the Pennsylvania State University.<\/p>\n<p>Space Shuttle<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>SpaceX<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Rocket building kits<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>\n<p>     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n<p>At the University of North Carolina, she researched microbial systems in hydrocarbon seeps, hydrothermal vents, and the Arctic, and analyzed ecosystem changes in Antarctica. Cardman has also participated in NASA-sponsored research in British Columbia, the Canadian Arctic, Idaho, and Hawaii, where she developed architecture for future science-driven planetary extravehicular activities (EVA).<\/p>\n<p>Crew-11 will serve as Cardman\u2019s first flight to space, but not her first assignment. Cardman was initially assigned to the NASA\/SpaceX Crew-9 mission as commander, which was scheduled to launch in September 2024. However, after NASA opted to return Boeing\u2019s Starliner capsule from the Station without the two-person crew of the Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission, Cardman and fellow NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson were removed from Crew-9 to allow for the return of the Boeing CFT astronauts. Cardman was later reassigned to Crew-11 in March 2025.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-108337\" class=\"size-full wp-image-108337\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54658894742_19254a3cc2_o-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54658894742_19254a3cc2_o-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54658894742_19254a3cc2_o-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54658894742_19254a3cc2_o-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54658894742_19254a3cc2_o-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54658894742_19254a3cc2_o-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54658894742_19254a3cc2_o-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54658894742_19254a3cc2_o-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54658894742_19254a3cc2_o-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-108337\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crew-11 commander and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman during training. (Credit: SpaceX)<\/p>\n<p>Crew-11\u2019s pilot is NASA astronaut Michael \u201cMike\u201d Fincke. Born in Pennsylvania and selected as part of the NASA Group 16 (\u201cThe Sardines\u201d) astronaut class, Crew-11 will serve as Fincke\u2019s fourth flight into space. Fincke first flew to space on the Soyuz TMA-4 mission in 2004 as part of Expedition 9, and again in 2008 on Soyuz TMA-13 as part of Expedition 18. Fincke\u2019s most recent flight was STS-134, the final flight of Space Shuttle <em>Endeavour<\/em>, in 2011, where he served as a mission specialist. In total, Fincke has accumulated 381 days, 15 hours, and 11 minutes in space.<\/p>\n<p>Fincke holds degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, El Camino College, and the University of Houston. After graduating from Stanford with his Master\u2019s degree, Fincke entered the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a Space Systems Engineer and Space Test Engineer at Los Angeles Air Force Base. Fincke also flew F-16 and F-15 aircraft as a Flight Test Engineer at Edwards and Eglin Air Force Bases. At the time of his astronaut selection, Fincke held the rank of colonel and had logged over 2,000 hours of flight time.<\/p>\n<p>Following STS-134 and the completion of the Space Shuttle Program, Fincke became heavily involved in NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew Program (CCP), serving as the Astronaut Office Chief of the Commercial Crew Branch from 2014 to 2019 and assisting Boeing and SpaceX with the development of the Starliner and Crew Dragon vehicles. In January 2019, NASA announced that Fincke would fly on the Boeing CFT mission. However, Fincke would be reassigned to the first operational Starliner mission, Boeing Starliner-1, in September 2022, before being reassigned once more to Crew-11 in March 2025.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-108338\" class=\"size-full wp-image-108338\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54660069440_c86b47a274_o-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54660069440_c86b47a274_o-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54660069440_c86b47a274_o-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54660069440_c86b47a274_o-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54660069440_c86b47a274_o-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54660069440_c86b47a274_o-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54660069440_c86b47a274_o-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54660069440_c86b47a274_o-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54660069440_c86b47a274_o-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-108338\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crew-11 pilot and NASA astronaut Mike Fincke. (Credit: SpaceX)<\/p>\n<p>Joining Cardman and Fincke as mission specialists are Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Born in Kawakami, Nagano, Japan, Kimiya Yui is a member of the 2009 JAXA Group and NASA Group 20 (\u201cThe Chumps\u201d) astronaut classes. Crew-11 will mark Yui\u2019s second flight to space, having previously flown on the Soyuz TMA-17M mission in 2015 as part of Expedition 44\/45. In total, Yui has accumulated 141 days, 16 hours, and nine minutes in space.<\/p>\n<p>Yui, a graduate of the National Defense Academy of Japan, enrolled in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in 1992. During his time in the Japanese Air Force, Yui served as a test pilot, flying F-15 Eagle fighter jets. He also worked in the Air Staff Office\u2019s Defense Planning Division. At the time of his astronaut selection, Yui held the rank of lieutenant colonel. Since joining JAXA, Yui has served as an aquanaut on the NEEMO 16 undersea exploration mission and the Chief of the JAXA Astronaut Corps.<\/p>\n<p>The last of the four-person crew is Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, who will be making his first flight to space on Crew-11. Selected as part of the 17th Cosmonaut Group in 2018, Platonov was born in modern-day Chelyabinsk, Russia, and earned a degree in engineering from the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots, where he specialized in aircraft operation and air traffic management.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-108339\" class=\"size-full wp-image-108339\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54659983048_710c0228aa_o-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54659983048_710c0228aa_o-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54659983048_710c0228aa_o-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54659983048_710c0228aa_o-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54659983048_710c0228aa_o-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54659983048_710c0228aa_o-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54659983048_710c0228aa_o-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54659983048_710c0228aa_o-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/54659983048_710c0228aa_o-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-108339\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui (left) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov (right) during training. (Credit: SpaceX)<\/p>\n<p>Upon graduation, Platonov entered the Russian Air Force and was stationed in Arytom, Primorsky Krai, Russia, where he trained as a pilot. By 2014, Platonov had advanced to a senior pilot and been appointed as commander of an aviation unit of the Russian Aerospace Forces. At the time of his cosmonaut selection by Roscosmos in 2018, Platonov had achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"widget-title penci-border-arrow\">See Also<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Crew-11 Updates<\/li>\n<li>ISS Forum Section<\/li>\n<li>NSF Store<\/li>\n<li>Click here to Join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After docking to the ISS on Aug. 2, the Crew-11 crew will be greeted by the current seven-member crew of Expedition 73, which is comprised of astronauts and cosmonauts from the Crew-10 and Soyuz MS-27 missions. Crew-10\u2019s crew is made up of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Soyuz MS-27 is comprised of Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, and NASA astronaut Jonny Kim.<\/p>\n<p>Once fully onboard the Station and adjusted to their new home, the Crew-11 astronauts will begin performing a plethora of science experiments and Station maintenance activities. Cardman, Fincke, and Yui will conduct scientific research to prepare humans for exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. The crew is expected to simulate lunar landings, test vision-safeguarding strategies, and undertake other activities. Furthermore, the astronauts will investigate plant cell division, determine the effects of microgravity on bacteria-killing viruses, and produce human stem cells.<\/p>\n<p>While onboard the Station, the crew will also welcome new crew members and many cargo resupply spacecraft. Soyuz MS-28 is expected to launch in November 2025 with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev, and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams. Meanwhile, several cargo resupply missions will fly to the ISS aboard SpaceX Cargo Dragon, Russian Progress, and Northrop Grumman Cygnus vehicles.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=haygenwarren&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1949181703597031429&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2025%2F07%2Fcrew-11-launch%2F&amp;sessionId=b8a08cc6ecf4a14ec705cb5833480d9900c2391e&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1949181703597031429\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1783493628776482047=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Top Left: Zena Cardman, Commander (NASA)<br \/>Top Right: Mike Fincke, Pilot (NASA)<br \/>Bottom Left: Kimiya Yui, mission specialist (JAXA)<br \/>Bottom Right: Oleg Platonov, mission specialist (Roscosmos) pic.twitter.com\/PKGapafXVq<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Max Evans (@_mgde_) July 26, 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Crew-11\u2019s spacecraft<\/p>\n<p>As part of its CCP contract, SpaceX supplies both the rocket and capsule to be used for crewed missions. This mission served as the 13th human spaceflight mission under the CCP, as well as the 11th operational ISS mission and 19th overall crewed mission for SpaceX and Crew Dragon.<\/p>\n<p>Crew-11\u2019s four-person crew rode to space atop SpaceX\u2019s Crew Dragon C206 <em>Endeavour.&nbsp;<\/em>The capsule is making its sixth flight to space \u2014 and to the ISS \u2014 on Crew-11 after a 515-day turnaround following Crew-8 last year. <em>Endeavour&nbsp;<\/em>first flew to space on the Demo-2 (DM-2) mission in May 2020 \u2014 the first crewed mission to launch from the United States since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011.<\/p>\n<p>As is tradition with Dragon capsules, the first crews to fly in them name the capsule. Given that <em>Endeavour<\/em>\u2018s first flight was DM-2, it was the first capsule to receive a name. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley named the capsule in honor of Space Shuttle&nbsp;<em>Endeavour<\/em>, which they both flew on before Dragon. Crew-11\u2019s pilot, Mike Fincke, is another NASA astronaut who will fly on Crew Dragon&nbsp;<em>Endeavour<\/em> that has also flown on Space Shuttle&nbsp;<em>Endeavour.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-108340\" class=\"size-full wp-image-108340\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GwpK-TmaAAAbhlp.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1152\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GwpK-TmaAAAbhlp.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GwpK-TmaAAAbhlp-350x197.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GwpK-TmaAAAbhlp-622x350.jpeg 622w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GwpK-TmaAAAbhlp-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GwpK-TmaAAAbhlp-1920x1080.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GwpK-TmaAAAbhlp-1170x658.jpeg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-108340\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crew Dragon Endeavour arrives at LC-39A ahead of Crew-11\u2019s launch. (Credit: SpaceX)<\/p>\n<p>The other active Crew Dragon capsules are C207&nbsp;<em>Resilience<\/em>, C210 <em>Endurance, <\/em>C212&nbsp;<em>Freedom<\/em>, and C213&nbsp;<em>Grace.<\/em>&nbsp;Crew Dragon&nbsp;<em>Endurance<\/em> is currently docked to the ISS as part of Crew-10.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX\u2019s partially reusable Falcon 9 rocket launched the crew to the ISS. Currently flying in its \u201cBlock 5\u201d configuration, Falcon 9 flew for the first time in June 2010 and has since launched 512 missions to low-Earth orbit, the Moon, and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>A two-stage medium-lift launch vehicle, Falcon 9 stands 69.8 m tall and 3.7 m wide. The reusable first stage booster features nine Merlin engines that produce 7,600 kilonewtons (kN) of thrust at liftoff. The first stage booster also features four landing legs and four grid fins for recovery. The Falcon 9 second stage features a single, vacuum-optimized Merlin engine that produces 934 kN of thrust. Both stages utilize liquid oxygen (LOX) and highly refined kerosene (RP-1) as propellants.<\/p>\n<p>Falcon 9 booster B1094 supported this mission, flying on its third mission. The booster flew for the first time on April 29 and is the third-youngest booster in the fleet. B1094 has recently supported the Starlink Group 12-10 mission in April and the crewed Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) mission to the ISS in June.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-108366\" class=\"wp-image-108366 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DSC04703-watermarked-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DSC04703-watermarked-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DSC04703-watermarked-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DSC04703-watermarked-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DSC04703-watermarked-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DSC04703-watermarked-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DSC04703-watermarked-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DSC04703-watermarked-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DSC04703-watermarked-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-108366\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">B1094 launching Crew-11 from LC-39A. (Credit: Sawyer Rosenstein for NSF)<\/p>\n<p>Crew-11 launch and docking timeline<\/p>\n<p>Crew-11 launched on Friday, Aug. 1, at 11:43 AM EDT (15:43 UTC) from the historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. LC-39A has hosted 18 of SpaceX\u2019s 19 crewed missions, with only Crew-9 launching from SpaceX\u2019s other Florida launch site, Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS).<\/p>\n<p>Falcon 9 and&nbsp;<em>Endeavour<\/em> rolled out to LC-39A from SpaceX\u2019s Horizontal Integration Facility on July 27 and went vertical later that day. The following day, NASA, SpaceX, and the Crew-11 teams completed a full dress rehearsal of launch day activities, with the crew suiting up, riding out to the pad, and entering <em>Endeavour<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Falcon 9 was expected to perform a static fire test later that evening following the dress rehearsal, but at T-57 seconds before the expected static fire, Falcon 9 auto-aborted, and the static fire was scrubbed. SpaceX, in a statement, stated that the abort was due to an error with the position indication of the transporter erector\u2019s cradle arms. Fortunately, the arms performed as expected and no major anomalies occurred, allowing teams to complete the static fire test the following day on July 29.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-2\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 250px; height: 461px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=haygenwarren&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-2&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1950240524423618858&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2025%2F07%2Fcrew-11-launch%2F&amp;sessionId=b8a08cc6ecf4a14ec705cb5833480d9900c2391e&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1950240524423618858\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>On launch day, the launch countdown began several miles south of LC-39A, at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&amp;C). After suiting up in the O&amp;C building and walking out to the media, a convoy of Teslas departed the O&amp;C building and drove to LC-39A. Once at the pad, the crew and the supporting closeout crew scaled the Fixed Service Structure tower and walked across the crew access arm to begin crew ingress procedures.<\/p>\n<p>Crew ingress was completed by T-2:35:00 hours. Hatch closure occurred 40 minutes later at T-1:55:00 hours. When the hatch was closed and leak checks were completed, the closeout crews prepared the white room for launch and left LC-39A.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX and NASA teams then monitored Falcon 9, <em>Endeavour<\/em>, the crew, and the surrounding weather for the next hour before SpaceX\u2019s Launch Director verified that Falcon 9 was \u201cgo\u201d for propellant loading at T-45:00 minutes. Soon after the \u201cgo\u201d was given, the crew access arm was retracted at T-42:00 minutes, and the launch escape system on <em>Endeavour<\/em> was armed at T-39:00 minutes. With the launch escape system armed, if an emergency that prevented crew egress were to occur, <em>Endeavour\u2019s<\/em>&nbsp;launch escape system would be activated, safely flying the crew away from the pad.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-108341\" class=\"size-full wp-image-108341\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gw-O7FaXEAAFIl1-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gw-O7FaXEAAFIl1-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gw-O7FaXEAAFIl1-350x197.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gw-O7FaXEAAFIl1-622x350.jpeg 622w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gw-O7FaXEAAFIl1-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gw-O7FaXEAAFIl1-1920x1080.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gw-O7FaXEAAFIl1-1170x658.jpeg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-108341\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crew-11\u2019s crew members during dress rehearsals in Florida. (Credit: SpaceX)<\/p>\n<p>Falcon 9 utilizes super-chilled cryogenic propellants, and to ensure the propellants don\u2019t boil off during pre-launch activities like crew ingress, SpaceX begins fueling Falcon 9 closer to launch than previous crewed launch vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>First stage LOX loading and RP-1 loading on both stages began at T-35:00 minutes. At T-16:00 minutes, the second stage LOX loading begins. <em>Endeavour<\/em> does not utilize RP-1 or LOX as propellants, and instead uses toxic but highly-storable hypergolic propellants for its launch escape system motors. Thus, the capsule was loaded with fuel days before launch.<\/p>\n<p>Fueling continued on both stages until T-07:00 minutes, when first stage engine chill began. During engine chill, small amounts of the cryogenic propellants flow through the first-stage engines, ensuring the nine first stage engines aren\u2019t subjected to intense thermal shock during ignition. At T-05:00 minutes, Endurance transitioned to internal power.<\/p>\n<p>Falcon 9 was completely loaded with propellants at T-02:00 minutes and began transitioning to internal power soon after.&nbsp; The rocket\u2019s flight computer began final prelaunch checks at T-01:00 minutes, and propellant tanks were pressurized to flight pressures.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-108342\" class=\"size-full wp-image-108342\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2Q5A1043-wmarked-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2Q5A1043-wmarked-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2Q5A1043-wmarked-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2Q5A1043-wmarked-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2Q5A1043-wmarked-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2Q5A1043-wmarked-1920x1281.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2Q5A1043-wmarked-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2Q5A1043-wmarked-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2Q5A1043-wmarked-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-108342\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Close-up of Endeavour and Falcon 9 on LC-39A. (Credit: Max Evans for NSF)<\/p>\n<p>At T-00:45 seconds, with no vehicle, weather, or range issues, the SpaceX Launch Director gave the final \u201cgo\u201d for launch. Falcon 9\u2019s first stage engines ignited at T-00:03 seconds, and at T0, Falcon 9, <em>Endeavour<\/em>, and Crew-11 lifted off from LC-39A.<\/p>\n<p>Falcon 9 and Crew-11 experienced maximum aerodynamic pressure (Max Q), or the moment at which aerodynamic and structural loads are at their greatest on the vehicle, at T+00:58 seconds into flight. After passing through Max Q and depleting most of its first stage propellants, B1094 separated from the second stage and <em>Endeavour<\/em> at T+02:29 minutes. The upper stage Merlin Vacuum engine ignited soon after, while B1094 flipped and performed its boostback burn.<\/p>\n<p>The booster then continued to coast up to its apogee before beginning its descent back to the Cape. After performing an entry burn, B1094 ignited its engines a final time as part of its landing burn, and softly touched down on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1), located several miles south of LC-39A at CCSFS, at T+07:43 minutes after launch.<\/p>\n<p>B1094\u2019s landing during this mission was the final landing planned at LZ-1, as SpaceX\u2019s lease will soon expire at the site. SpaceX elected not to renew its lease of Launch Complex 13, where LZ-1 and Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) are located, as the company plans to build landing zones within LC-39A and SLC-40 for faster recovery turnaround times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NASA and SpaceX have launched the 11th operational crew rotation mission to the International Space Station under the Commercial Crew Program, Crew-11. Liftoff occurred at 11:43 AM EDT (15:43 UTC) on Friday, Aug. 1, from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch was initially scheduled for Thursday, July 31, but, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2951,830,7967,385,235,1023,851,1445,479,717,233,877,766,8047,190,234,8048,316],"class_list":["post-23754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-astronaut","tag-commercial-crew-program","tag-cosmonaut","tag-crew","tag-crew-dragon","tag-crew-10","tag-crew-11","tag-endeavour","tag-falcon-9","tag-international-space-station","tag-iss","tag-jaxa","tag-lc-39a","tag-ms-27","tag-nasa","tag-roscosmos","tag-soyus-ms-27","tag-spacex"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23754"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23754\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}