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Accessibility links - [Skip to main content](https://www.npr.org/2025/08/01/nx-s1-5486690/nasa-spacex-crew-11-launch-iss#mainContent) - [Keyboard shortcuts for audio player](https://help.npr.org/contact/s/article?name=what-are-the-keyboard-shortcuts-for-using-the-npr-org-audio-player) ![]() ****Loading**** - **Hourly News** - **Listen Live** - **My Playlist** - Open Navigation Menu - [](https://www.npr.org/) - ****  WAMU 88.5 - ******Listen Live****WAMU 88.5 (HD 88.5-1)****** - [donate](https://www.npr.org/donations/support) - [Change](https://www.npr.org/stations/) [Sign in or register](https://www.npr.org/account/login) to see your station everywhere you enjoy NPR. - [Newsletters](https://www.npr.org/newsletters/) - [Sign In](https://www.npr.org/2025/08/01/nx-s1-5486690/nasa-spacex-crew-11-launch-iss)Personalize Your Experience - [NPR Shop](https://shopnpr.org/) - [Donate](https://www.npr.org/donations/support) - [Local Station](https://www.npr.org/donations/support) - [NPR Network](https://contribute.npr.org/) Close Navigation Menu - [Home](https://www.npr.org/) - [News](https://www.npr.org/sections/news/) Expand/collapse submenu for News - [National](https://www.npr.org/sections/national/) - [World](https://www.npr.org/sections/world/) - [Politics](https://www.npr.org/sections/politics/) - [Business](https://www.npr.org/sections/business/) - [Health](https://www.npr.org/sections/health/) - [Science](https://www.npr.org/sections/science/) - [Climate](https://www.npr.org/sections/climate/) - [Race](https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/) - [Culture](https://www.npr.org/sections/culture/) Expand/collapse submenu for Culture - [Books](https://www.npr.org/books/) - [Movies](https://www.npr.org/sections/movies/) - [Television](https://www.npr.org/sections/television/) - [Pop Culture](https://www.npr.org/sections/pop-culture/) - [Food](https://www.npr.org/sections/food/) - [Art & Design](https://www.npr.org/sections/art-design/) - [Performing Arts](https://www.npr.org/sections/performing-arts/) - [Life Kit](https://www.npr.org/lifekit/) - [Gaming](https://www.npr.org/sections/gaming/) - [Music](https://www.npr.org/music/) Expand/collapse submenu for Music - [Tiny Desk](https://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/) - [New Music Friday](https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/606254804/new-music-friday) - [All Songs Considered](https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/) - [Music Features](https://www.npr.org/sections/music-features) - [Live Sessions](https://www.npr.org/series/770565791/npr-music-live-sessions) - [The Best Music of 2025](https://www.npr.org/2025/12/10/g-s1-99930/best-music-of-2025) - [Podcasts & Shows](https://www.npr.org/podcasts-and-shows/) Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows Daily - [ Morning Edition](https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/) - [ Weekend Edition Saturday](https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/) - [ Weekend Edition Sunday](https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/) - [ All Things Considered](https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/) - [ Up First](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510318/up-first/) - [ Here & Now](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510051/here-x26-now/) - [ NPR Politics Podcast](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510310/npr-politics-podcast/) Featured - [ Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me\!](https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/) - [ Fresh Air](https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/) - [ Wild Card with Rachel Martin](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510379/wild-card-with-rachel-martin) - [ It's Been a Minute](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510317/its-been-a-minute) - [ Planet Money](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money) - [ Get NPR+](https://plus.npr.org/?utm_medium=nprweb&source=globalsubnav) - [More Podcasts & Shows](https://www.npr.org/podcasts-and-shows/) - [Search](https://www.npr.org/search/) - [Newsletters](https://www.npr.org/newsletters/) - [NPR Shop](https://shopnpr.org/) - [Sign In](https://www.npr.org/2025/08/01/nx-s1-5486690/nasa-spacex-crew-11-launch-iss)Personalize Your Experience - [ ](https://www.npr.org/music/) - [Tiny Desk](https://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/) - [New Music Friday](https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/606254804/new-music-friday) - [All Songs Considered](https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/) - [Music Features](https://www.npr.org/sections/music-features) - [Live Sessions](https://www.npr.org/series/770565791/npr-music-live-sessions) - [The Best Music of 2025](https://www.npr.org/2025/12/10/g-s1-99930/best-music-of-2025) - [About NPR](https://www.npr.org/about/) - [Diversity](https://www.npr.org/diversity/) - [Support](https://www.npr.org/support/) - [Careers](https://www.npr.org/careers/) - [Press](https://www.npr.org/series/750003/press-room/) - [Ethics](https://www.npr.org/ethics/) **SpaceX launches four people on NASA's Crew-11 mission to ISS** **NASA and SpaceX's Crew-11 mission is made up of two U.S. astronauts, one from Japan and a Russian cosmonaut. They'll be aboard the International Space Station for six months conducting research.** ### [Space](https://www.npr.org/sections/space/) # SpaceX launches international crew to space station on 6-month NASA mission August 1, 202511:52 AM ET By [Brendan Byrne](https://www.npr.org/people/nx-s1-31662/brendan-byrne)  Crew-11 mission astronauts wave as they head to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Friday. From Left to right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, NASA astronaut and mission commander Zena Cardman and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui. The crew will live and work aboard the International Space Station for at least six months. **Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images** ****hide caption**** ****toggle caption**** Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images An international crew of four launched into orbit just before noon Friday from Florida on [NASA's Crew-11](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/nasas-spacex-crew-11/), a six-month mission to the [International Space Station](https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/). [](https://www.npr.org/2024/10/10/nx-s1-5145776/spacex-texas-wetlands) ### [Space](https://www.npr.org/sections/space/) ### [SpaceX wants to go to Mars. To get there, environmentalists say it's trashing Texas](https://www.npr.org/2024/10/10/nx-s1-5145776/spacex-texas-wetlands) SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket roared to life on Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39-A, lofting the company's [Dragon capsule](https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/dragon) and crew on a nine-minute trip from the Earth's surface into orbit. The capsule is carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. It will take the crew about 15 hours to reach the ISS, with a docking planned Saturday around 3 a.m. ET. Once there, they'll remain aboard the station for about six months, living and working on the orbiting lab, conducting dozens of science experiments. Sponsor Message Those include studying plant cell division and microgravity's effects on bacterial-killing viruses. They'll also perform experiments to produce a "higher volume of human stem cells and general on-demand nutrients." The Crew-11 mission marks the 12th time SpaceX is launching NASA astronauts to the ISS. In 2020, the private company began [ferrying astronauts to the station](https://www.npr.org/2020/05/30/864514995/spacex-and-nasa-try-once-more-to-launch-astronauts) as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program, ending a reliance on Russia for rides to the station after the [retirement of the Space Shuttle program](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/07/21/138564226/atlantis-on-schedule-for-landing-in-florida) in 2011.  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour carrying the Crew-11 mission lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday. **Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images** ****hide caption**** ****toggle caption**** Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images It is the first trip to space for mission commander Cardman. The 37-year-old geobiologist was selected by NASA in 2017 to join the astronaut corps. Her first flight was scheduled last year on SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, but her assignment was bumped to make room for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. [](https://www.npr.org/2025/06/07/nx-s1-5425266/spacex-musk-trump-starlink-starship) ### [Space](https://www.npr.org/sections/space/) ### [How the U.S. became highly reliant on Elon Musk for access to space](https://www.npr.org/2025/06/07/nx-s1-5425266/spacex-musk-trump-starlink-starship) Wilmore and Williams had arrived at the space station [in Boeing's Starliner capsule](https://www.npr.org/2024/06/05/nx-s1-4956024/boeing-starliner-launch-nasa-international-space-station) on the spacecraft's first human test flight in June 2024. But [hardware issues](https://www.npr.org/2024/07/03/nx-s1-5026448/boeing-starliner-astronauts-space-station-return) uncovered during that mission prompted NASA to select [a new ride home](https://www.npr.org/2025/03/12/nx-s1-5324653/trump-space-musk-astronauts-international-space-station-nasa) for the crew — leaving the Starliner with [no one aboard](https://www.npr.org/2024/09/07/nx-s1-5103722/starliner-nasa-boeing-crew-space-station-lands) for its trip back to Earth. NASA and SpaceX flew Crew-9 to the station with [two empty seats](https://www.npr.org/2024/09/28/nx-s1-5132090/spacex-nasa-crew-9-launch) for Wilmore and Williams to use [for their return](https://www.npr.org/2025/03/18/nx-s1-5331907/nasa-astronauts-return-long-space-station-suni-williams-butch-wilmore) in March. "It was an unexpected change. But space flight is not about me or about any individual. It's about what we can do together," said Cardman. "Now I have the opportunity to train with this wonderful, amazing crew. Life is a journey. It takes many turns, and I'm just grateful to be here." Sponsor Message For Crew-11 pilot Mike Fincke, it will be his fourth trip to the space station. His first two flights in 2004 and 2008 were aboard Russia's Soyuz capsule. In 2011, he flew to the station on Space Shuttle Endeavour — the [last launch of that vehicle](https://www.npr.org/2011/05/16/136353810/shuttle-endeavour-blasts-off-on-final-mission). [](https://www.npr.org/2025/02/19/g-s1-49451/artemis-moon-nasa-sls-rocket-doge-musk) ### [Space](https://www.npr.org/sections/space/) ### [Is Trump preparing to cancel America's ride back to the moon?](https://www.npr.org/2025/02/19/g-s1-49451/artemis-moon-nasa-sls-rocket-doge-musk) There has been a continual human presence on the space station since its first crew arrived on October 31, 2000. But the orbiting outpost is set to retire by the end of the decade. "We have a beautiful space station. I'm very proud of our space station," said Fincke ahead of his launch. "This is something that I think that humans should just really remember of all the cool things we can do when we work together constructively." The mission marks the second trip to the station for Japan's Yui Kimiya. It is the first spaceflight for Russia's Oleg Platonov. - [International Space Station](https://www.npr.org/tags/132092780/international-space-station) - [ISS](https://www.npr.org/tags/1230632660/iss) - [NASA](https://www.npr.org/tags/126925728/nasa) - [SpaceX](https://www.npr.org/tags/131967187/spacex) - **Facebook** - **Flipboard** - **Email** ###### Read & Listen - [Home](https://www.npr.org/) - [News](https://www.npr.org/sections/news/) - [Culture](https://www.npr.org/sections/culture/) - [Music](https://www.npr.org/music/) - [Podcasts & Shows](https://www.npr.org/podcasts-and-shows) ###### Connect - [Newsletters](https://www.npr.org/newsletters/) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/NPR/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/npr/) - [Press](https://www.npr.org/series/750003/press-room/) - [Public Editor](https://www.npr.org/sections/publiceditor/) - [Corrections](https://www.npr.org/corrections/) - [Transcripts](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/) - [Contact & Help](https://help.npr.org/contact/s/) ###### About NPR - [Overview](https://www.npr.org/about/) - [Diversity](https://www.npr.org/diversity/) - [NPR Network](https://www.npr.org/network/) - [Accessibility](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/1136563345/accessibility) - [Ethics](https://www.npr.org/ethics/) - [Finances](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/178660742/public-radio-finances) ###### Get Involved - [Support Public Radio](https://www.npr.org/support/) - [Sponsor NPR](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/186948703/corporate-sponsorship) - [NPR Careers](https://www.npr.org/careers/) - [NPR Shop](https://shopnpr.org/) - [NPR Extra](https://www.npr.org/sections/npr-extra/) - [Terms of Use](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179876898/terms-of-use) - [Privacy](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) - [Your Privacy Choices](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy#yourchoices) - [Text Only](https://text.npr.org/) - © 2026 npr Sponsor Message Sponsor Message [Become an NPR sponsor](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/186948703/corporate-sponsorship)  ##### Exclusive benefits ###### Give a little. 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 Crew-11 mission astronauts wave as they head to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Friday. From Left to right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, NASA astronaut and mission commander Zena Cardman and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui. The crew will live and work aboard the International Space Station for at least six months. **Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images** ****hide caption**** ****toggle caption**** Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images An international crew of four launched into orbit just before noon Friday from Florida on [NASA's Crew-11](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/nasas-spacex-crew-11/), a six-month mission to the [International Space Station](https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/). SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket roared to life on Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39-A, lofting the company's [Dragon capsule](https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/dragon) and crew on a nine-minute trip from the Earth's surface into orbit. The capsule is carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. It will take the crew about 15 hours to reach the ISS, with a docking planned Saturday around 3 a.m. ET. Once there, they'll remain aboard the station for about six months, living and working on the orbiting lab, conducting dozens of science experiments. Those include studying plant cell division and microgravity's effects on bacterial-killing viruses. They'll also perform experiments to produce a "higher volume of human stem cells and general on-demand nutrients." The Crew-11 mission marks the 12th time SpaceX is launching NASA astronauts to the ISS. In 2020, the private company began [ferrying astronauts to the station](https://www.npr.org/2020/05/30/864514995/spacex-and-nasa-try-once-more-to-launch-astronauts) as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program, ending a reliance on Russia for rides to the station after the [retirement of the Space Shuttle program](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/07/21/138564226/atlantis-on-schedule-for-landing-in-florida) in 2011.  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour carrying the Crew-11 mission lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday. **Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images** ****hide caption**** ****toggle caption**** Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images It is the first trip to space for mission commander Cardman. The 37-year-old geobiologist was selected by NASA in 2017 to join the astronaut corps. Her first flight was scheduled last year on SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, but her assignment was bumped to make room for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Wilmore and Williams had arrived at the space station [in Boeing's Starliner capsule](https://www.npr.org/2024/06/05/nx-s1-4956024/boeing-starliner-launch-nasa-international-space-station) on the spacecraft's first human test flight in June 2024. But [hardware issues](https://www.npr.org/2024/07/03/nx-s1-5026448/boeing-starliner-astronauts-space-station-return) uncovered during that mission prompted NASA to select [a new ride home](https://www.npr.org/2025/03/12/nx-s1-5324653/trump-space-musk-astronauts-international-space-station-nasa) for the crew — leaving the Starliner with [no one aboard](https://www.npr.org/2024/09/07/nx-s1-5103722/starliner-nasa-boeing-crew-space-station-lands) for its trip back to Earth. NASA and SpaceX flew Crew-9 to the station with [two empty seats](https://www.npr.org/2024/09/28/nx-s1-5132090/spacex-nasa-crew-9-launch) for Wilmore and Williams to use [for their return](https://www.npr.org/2025/03/18/nx-s1-5331907/nasa-astronauts-return-long-space-station-suni-williams-butch-wilmore) in March. "It was an unexpected change. But space flight is not about me or about any individual. It's about what we can do together," said Cardman. "Now I have the opportunity to train with this wonderful, amazing crew. Life is a journey. It takes many turns, and I'm just grateful to be here." For Crew-11 pilot Mike Fincke, it will be his fourth trip to the space station. His first two flights in 2004 and 2008 were aboard Russia's Soyuz capsule. In 2011, he flew to the station on Space Shuttle Endeavour — the [last launch of that vehicle](https://www.npr.org/2011/05/16/136353810/shuttle-endeavour-blasts-off-on-final-mission). There has been a continual human presence on the space station since its first crew arrived on October 31, 2000. But the orbiting outpost is set to retire by the end of the decade. "We have a beautiful space station. I'm very proud of our space station," said Fincke ahead of his launch. "This is something that I think that humans should just really remember of all the cool things we can do when we work together constructively." The mission marks the second trip to the station for Japan's Yui Kimiya. It is the first spaceflight for Russia's Oleg Platonov.