A four-person crew is set to launch on July 31 aboard SpaceX’s Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The crew, led by NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, includes fellow NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
This will be Cardman’s first flight to space and Platonov’s maiden voyage. Yui is returning for her second spaceflight, while Fincke is on his fourth mission. The crew will fly aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour, which has undergone a recertification process to prepare it for its sixth trip to the ISS.
The mission comes as NASA and SpaceX are closely monitoring the transit time between launch and docking with the space station. The crew will need to navigate the space station’s orbital boost by a Russian Progress vehicle, which may extend their journey beyond the planned 40-hour limit.
“We’re watching all our potential contingencies carefully,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “If needed, we have a backup plan on August 1.”
The crew will be part of a historic milestone as they mark the ISS’s 25th anniversary of operations in October.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/07/14/nasa-spacex-target-july-31-for-crew-11-launch-to-the-iss