The International Space Station (ISS) is set for a new crew arrival with the launch of the Crew-11 mission. Liftoff is now scheduled for 12:09 PM EDT on July 31st from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Commander Zena Cardman, making her first spaceflight after nearly a year, and pilot Mike Fincke will join Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov for the six-month mission. The crew has undergone training to prepare for their time aboard the ISS.
Cardman previously trained as the commander of Crew-9 but was replaced due to two empty seats that needed to be filled by returning astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Fincke, a veteran of the space station with previous Expeditions 9 and 18 missions, will fly on Dragon for the first time.
The ISS is nearing its planned deorbiting in 2030, but Crew-11 commander Mike Fincke believes that having commercial low-Earth orbit and private space stations will ensure the continued relevance of the ISS.
Source: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/07/crew-11-interviews