NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 Depart for Launchpad | Kennedy Space Center
Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia, left, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A on NASA's Kennedy Space Center to board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-11 mission launch
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, right, Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, talk to family and friends as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, talk to family and friends as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, wearing a SpaceX spacesuits, waves to NASA leadership as she and fellow crewmates NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia, prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, left, his wife Rachel Campos-Duffy, acting NASA Associate Administrator Vanessa Wyche, and acting Kennedy Space Center Director Kelvin Manning, wave as NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia, depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program employees pose for a photo following the raising of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission flag near the countdown clock at the NASA News Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center.
Crew-11 Emblem
Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A on NASA's Kennedy Space Center to board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-11 mission launch, Thursday, July 31, 2025, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The four crew members of Crew-11 are scheduled to liftoff no earlier than 12:09 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 31, from Launch Complex 39A.
Commander Zena Cardman and Pilot Mike Fincke, both NASA astronauts, and Mission Specialists Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos (Russia) will ride inside the Dragon spacecraft atop Falcon 9 for an automated, day-and-a-half long trip to the orbital outpost’s space-facing port on the Harmony module. Once there, the four Crew-11 members will join Expedition 73 beginning a seven-month research mission in low Earth orbit.
Meanwhile, the seven-member Expedition 73 crew is gearing up to welcome four new crewmates at the end of the week. Shortly after that, another quartet that has been living and working aboard the International Space Station since March will return to Earth.
Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky/Kim Shiflett
Date: July 31, 2025
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