Saturday, August 02, 2025

Meet Roscosmos Cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia: Crew-11 Mission Specialist

Meet Roscosmos Cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia: Crew-11 Mission Specialist

Roscosmos Cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia will serve as mission specialist for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station. This will be Platonov’s first spaceflight. Before his selection as a cosmonaut in 2018, Platonov earned a degree in Engineering from Krasnodar Air Force Academy in Aircraft Operations and Air Traffic Management. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in State and Municipal Management in 2016 from the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia. Assigned as a test cosmonaut in 2021, he has experience in piloting aircraft, zero gravity training, scuba diving, and wilderness survival.


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center 
Duration: 3 minutes, 48 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 1, 2025

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Meet NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke: Crew-11 Pilot

Meet NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke: Crew-11 Pilot


NASA astronaut Mike Fincke is the pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission. This is his fourth spaceflight. The Pennsylvania native also traveled to space as part of Expedition 9 in 2004, Expedition 18 in 2009, and STS-134 in 2011. He was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1996. Upon his arrival to the International Space Station with Crew-11, he became an Expedition 73 flight engineer and began a long-duration science expedition aboard the orbiting laboratory.

For Expedition 9, Fincke served as Science Officer and Flight Engineer during his six-month stay aboard the space station. While there, he performed four spacewalks. For Expedition 18, Fincke served as station commander, where he and his crew prepared the station for future six-person crews. For STS-134, he served as mission specialist and completed three spacewalks. Colonel Fincke has logged more than a year in orbit with nine spacewalks totaling 48 hours and 37 minutes of spacewalking time. In addition to his time in space, Fincke also played a crucial role in Boeing’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) program. He served as backup pilot for the CFT mission and prime pilot for the Starliner-1 mission, contributing significantly to Starliner’s development through his work in the Avionics and Software Integration Lab (ASIL), focusing on flight software refinement, systems integration, and human-spaceflight interfaces.

Astronaut Mike Fincke NASA Biography: 


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 3 minutes, 22 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 1, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #NASASpaceXCrew11 #SpaceXDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #Crew11Pilot #MikeFincke #KimiyaYui #JAXA #Japan #Cosmonaut #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Meet NASA Astronaut Zena Cardman: Crew-11 Mission Commander

Meet NASA Astronaut Zena Cardman: Crew-11 Mission Commander

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman is the commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission. This is her first spaceflight. Upon her arrival to the International Space Station, she became an Expedition 73/74 flight engineer, kicking off a long-duration science expedition aboard the orbiting laboratory. She was selected by NASA as a member of the 2017 “Turtles” astronaut class. The Virginia native holds a bachelor of science in Biology and a master of science in Marine Sciences from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her research focused primarily on geobiology and geochemical cycling in subsurface environments, from caves to deep sea sediments. Cardman’s experience includes multiple Antarctic expeditions. Since completing initial training, Cardman has supported real-time station operations and lunar surface exploration planning.

Astronaut Zena Cardman Biography:
https://www.nasa.gov/people/zena-cardman/


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 3 minutes, 25 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 1, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #NASASpaceXCrew11 #SpaceXDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #ZenaCardman #Crew11Commander #Scientist #MarineBiologist #MikeFincke #KimiyaYui #JAXA #Japan #Cosmonaut #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Crew-11 Welcoming Ceremony | International Space Station

Crew-11 Welcoming Ceremony | International Space Station

On Aug. 2, 2025, the Crew-11 quartet joined the seven-member Expedition 73 crewNASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia have started their seven-month research mission in low Earth orbit. A brief welcoming ceremony was held in honor of this event.

Crew-11 will conduct scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit humanity on Earth. Participating crew members will simulate lunar landings, test strategies to safeguard vision, and advance other human spaceflight studies led by NASA’s Human Research Program. The crew also will study plant cell division and microgravity’s effects on bacteria-killing viruses, as well as perform experiments to produce a higher volume of human stem cells and generate on-demand nutrients.


Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: JAXA Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy
NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 3 minutes, 46 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 2, 2025


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Crew-11 Arrival: Greetings after Hatch Opening | International Space Station

Crew-11 Arrival: Greetings after Hatch Opening | International Space Station

The hatches opened between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station at 3:46am ET, Aug. 2, 2025, and the Crew-11 quartet joined the seven-member Expedition 73 crewNASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia have started their seven-month research mission in low Earth orbit.

Crew-11 will conduct scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit humanity on Earth. Participating crew members will simulate lunar landings, test strategies to safeguard vision, and advance other human spaceflight studies led by NASA’s Human Research Program. The crew also will study plant cell division and microgravity’s effects on bacteria-killing viruses, as well as perform experiments to produce a higher volume of human stem cells and generate on-demand nutrients.


Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: JAXA Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy
NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 1 minute, 49 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 2, 2025


#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #NASASpaceXCrew11 #SpaceXDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #KimiyaYui #JAXA #Japan #日本 #Cosmonaut #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Friday, August 01, 2025

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 Launch Highlights | Kennedy Space Center

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 Launch Highlights | Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Launches to International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia, started their approximately 15-hour journey to the International Space Station on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission. Liftoff occurred at 11:43 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A in Florida.

The number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 for a short time as Crew-11 joins NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, and Jonny Kim, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky of Russia.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 will depart the space station after the arrival of Crew-11 and a handover period. Ahead of Crew-10’s return, mission teams will review weather conditions at the splashdown sites off the coast of California prior to departure from station.

During their mission, Crew-11 will conduct scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit humanity on Earth. Participating crew members will simulate lunar landings, test strategies to safeguard vision, and advance other human spaceflight studies led by NASA’s Human Research Program. The crew also will study plant cell division and microgravity’s effects on bacteria-killing viruses, as well as perform experiments to produce a higher volume of human stem cells and generate on-demand nutrients.

The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. It provides reliable access to space, maximizing the use of the station for research and development and supporting future missions beyond low Earth orbit by partnering with private companies to transport astronauts to and from the space station.

Learn more about the agency’s Commercial Crew Program at:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew


Video Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center
Duration: 1 minute, 34 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 1, 2025


#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #NASASpaceXCrew11 #SpaceXDragonSpacecraft #SpaceXFalcon9Rocket #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #KimiyaYui #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonaut #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Liftoff: NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 Mission | International Space Station

Liftoff: NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 Mission | International Space Station

Liftoff! NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Begins Journey to International Space Station. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon crew spacecraft rocketed into the blue Florida sky, as NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia, started their approximately 15-hour journey to the International Space Station on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission. Liftoff occurred at 11:43 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A in Florida.


Video Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center
Duration: 46 seconds
Release Date: Aug 1, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #NASASpaceXCrew11 #SpaceXDragonSpacecraft #SpaceXFalcon9Rocket #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #KimiyaYui #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonaut #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

SpaceX Starship Static Test Fire Pre-10th Flight | Starbase Texas

SpaceX Starship Static Test Fire Pre-10th Flight | Starbase Texas



This is a Starship single-engine static fire test demonstrating a complete in-space burn on Pad 1 at Starbase Texas.

Read SpaceX's Ninth Test Flight Report: 

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket—collectively referred to as Starship—represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.

Key Starship Parameters:
Height: 123m/403ft
Diameter: 9m/29.5ft
Payload to LEO: 100–150t (fully reusable)

"Starship is essential to both SpaceX’s plans to deploy its next-generation Starship system as well as for NASA, which will use a lunar lander version of Starship for landing astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis III mission through the Human Landing System (HLS) program."

Learn more about Starship:

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):


Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Image Date: July 31, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Starship #StarshipSpacecraft #Starship10 #StarshipTestFlight10 #SuperHeavyBooster #SuperHeavyRocket #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #StarbaseTexas #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Thursday, July 31, 2025

Thruster Reboost Makes 'Human Accelerometers' | International Space Station

Thruster Reboost Makes 'Human Accelerometers' | International Space Station

Expedition 73 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers: "Due to atmospheric drag, the International Space Station decelerates over time, which causes a loss in altitude. We have to execute a reboost in order to get back to speed and altitude. When the thrusters are firing, you can feel and see the acceleration inside the station! Ha, we had fun being human accelerometers. 😊"


Expedition 73 Crew
Station Commander: JAXA Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy
NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

For more information about STEM on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Image Credit: NASA/Johnson Space Center
Duration: 1 minute, 27 seconds
Release Date: July 31, 2025


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planet #Earth #Thrusters #Reboost #HumanAccelerometers #Crew10 #Astronauts #NicholeAyers #AnneMcClain #JonnyKim #UnitedStates #TakuyaOnishi #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Earth Aurora & Stars | International Space Station

Earth Aurora & Stars | International Space Station

Expedition 73 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Anne McClain: "As we get close to leaving the International Space Station, I find myself wanting to savor every moment and every view. None of us are guaranteed to get to do this again, and every minute spent in space is a special one. I dropped into the Cupola to look out the window and just be in the moment, not taking photos or looking for anything in particular. Well, when this view presented itself, I changed my mind . . . I had to pick up a camera to share this with all of you. Wow!"

The Expedition 73 crew is readying a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for return to Earth while a new crew on the ground is preparing to launch aboard another Dragon to the International Space Station. Station crewmates Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, both from NASA, Takuya Onishi from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Kirill Peskov from Roscosmos (Russia) continue packing personal items and other cargo inside the Dragon that will return them home in early August. McClain and Ayers, are being assisted by NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim. He is staying in space until December 2025.


Expedition 73 Crew
Station Commander: JAXA Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy
NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

For more information about STEM on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Image Credit: NASA/Johnson Space Center
Release Date: July 31, 2025


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NASA's Crew-11: The Importance of Space Exploration | International Space Station

NASA's Crew-11: The Importance of Space Exploration | International Space Station


[Weather-related delay] The four crew members of Crew-11 are now scheduled no earlier than 11:43 a.m. EDT Friday, August 1, 2025, for the launch of their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program works with the American aerospace industry to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the orbital outpost on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil.

Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at: 
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Once aboard the International Space Station, the Commercial Crew foursome will spend several months studying stem cell production methods to develop advanced cures, new ways to treat bacterial infections, space agriculture techniques, and more.

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke are serving as commander and pilot of the mission. The crew also has two mission specialists, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia.

The flight is the 11th crew rotation with SpaceX to the station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future missions to the Moon, as well as benefit people on Earth.


Video Credit: NASA/SpaceX
Duration: 1 minute, 14 seconds
Release Date: July 31, 2025

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NASA's SpaceX Crew-11: Launchpad Departure | Kennedy Space Center

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11: Launchpad Departure | Kennedy Space Center

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 crew members walk out of the historic Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Family and friends cheers and waved hello before the crew climbed into vehicles that will take them to Launch Complex 39A.

[Weather-related delay] The four crew members of Crew-11 are now scheduled no earlier than Friday, August 1, 2025, for the launch of their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station.

To learn more about the Kennedy Space Center please visit: https://www.nasa.gov/kennedy


Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center
Duration: 1 minute, 14 seconds
Release Date: July 31, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #NASASpaceXCrew11 #SpaceXDragonSpacecraft #SpaceXFalcon9Rocket #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #KimiyaYui #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonaut #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 Suit-Up Operations | Kennedy Space Center

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 Suit-Up Operations | Kennedy Space Center

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 crew members go through last minute suit leak checks at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 31, 2025. 

[Weather-related delay] The four crew members of Crew-11 are now scheduled no earlier than Friday, August 1, 2025, for the launch of their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station 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.

To learn more about the Kennedy Space Center please visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/kennedy


Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center
Duration: 28 seconds
Release Date: July 31, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #NASASpaceXCrew11 #SpaceXDragonSpacecraft #SpaceXFalcon9Rocket #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #KimiyaYui #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonaut #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 Depart for Launchpad | Kennedy Space Center

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


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #SpaceX #NASASpaceXCrew11 #SpaceXDragonSpacecraft #SpaceXFalcon9Rocket #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #KimiyaYui #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonaut #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: July 27-30, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: July 27-30, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4611
Mars 2020 - sol 1577
Mars 2020 - sol 1578
MSL - sol 4614
MSL - sol 4611
This is the Curiosity rover’s Dust Removal Tool (DRT). The tool is a motorized, wire-bristle brush on the turret at the end of the rover’s arm.
MSL - sol 4611
This is the Curiosity rover’s Dust Removal Tool (DRT). The tool is a motorized, wire-bristle brush on the turret at the end of the rover’s arm.
MSL - sol 4611
MSL - sol 4609

Celebrating 12+ Years on Mars (2012-2024)
Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)
Rover Name: Curiosity
Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 
Launch: Nov. 6, 2011
Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 4+ Years on Mars
Mission Name: Mars 2020
Rover Name: Perseverance
Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.
Launch: July 30, 2020    
Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS
Processing: Kevin M. Gill
Image Release Dates: July 27-30, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education

Close-up: Globular Star Cluster NGC 1786—A Galactic Time Capsule | Hubble

Close-up: Globular Star Cluster NGC 1786A Galactic Time Capsule | Hubble

In this Hubble picture, we gaze upon the field of stars that is NGC 1786. This object is a globular cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way Galaxy that is approximately 160,000 light-years away from Earth. NGC 1786 itself is in the constellation Dorado. It was discovered in the year 1835 by John Herschel.

The data for this image comes from an observing program comparing old globular clusters in nearby dwarf galaxies—the LMC, the Small Magellanic Cloud and the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy—to the globular clusters in the Milky Way galaxy. Our galaxy contains over 150 of these old, spherical collections of tightly-bound stars. They have been studied in depth—especially with Hubble Space Telescope images like this one, showing them in previously-unattainable detail. Being very stable and long-lived, they act as galactic time capsules, preserving stars from the earliest stages of a galaxy’s formation.

Astronomers once thought that the stars in a globular cluster all formed together at about the same time, but study of the old globular clusters in our galaxy has uncovered multiple populations of stars at a rnage of ages. In order to use globular clusters as historical markers, we must understand how they form and where these stars of varying ages come from. This observing program examined old globular clusters like NGC 1786 in these external galaxies to see if they, too, contain multiple populations of stars. This research can tell us more not only about how the LMC was originally formed, but the Milky Way Galaxy, too.

Image Description: A cluster of stars in space. It is bright in the center, where the stars are densely packed together in the cluster’s core, and grows dimmer and more diffuse out to the edges, as the stars give way to the dark background of space. A few orange stars are spread across the cluster, but most are pale, bluish-white points of light. Three large stars with cross-shaped spikes around them lie between us and the cluster.


Credit:
ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Monelli, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç
Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: July 14, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularStarClusters #NGC1786 #Dorado #Constellation #LMC #Galaxies #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video