SpaceX Successfully Launches Crew-11 Mission to the International Space Station
SpaceX successfully launched the Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov lifted off from Launch Pad 39-A. Cardman and Fincke expressed their joy and excitement about the transcendent experience of the launch.
The first-stage booster of the Falcon 9 rocket landed back at Landing Zone 1, creating a sonic boom across the Space Coast. The launch had been delayed by a day due to weather conditions, but the crew was able to make their way to the launch pad and board the spacecraft on the rescheduled day. The quartet was prepped for launch at the Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building before heading to the launch pad in Teslas with unique license plates.
NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich highlighted the groundbreaking nature of NASA's use of a commercial spacecraft for this mission. The Crew Dragon used for this launch had previously flown astronauts for SpaceX in 2020 and is part of a fleet of crew-capable Dragons. SpaceX has flown 74 humans across 19 missions in just over five years. The Crew-11 mission will relieve the Crew-10 members currently on the space station.
The Crew-11 mission is targeting docking with the space station after a 16-hour trip. The crew will stay on the station for at least six months, with the possibility of extending the mission to eight months. The crew composition includes rookies Cardman and Platonov, Yui on his second trip to space, and Fincke on his fourth space mission.
The Crew-11 mission marks another milestone in the continuous human presence on the International Space Station, which will celebrate 25 years of human habitation in November. The crew will be part of Expedition 73 upon arrival and will continue as part of Expedition 74 when the next replacement crew from Russia arrives in November.