NASA Briefs Media on Upcoming SpaceX Crew-11 Mission Launch

NASA and its partners are set to hold a series of news conferences on July 10, 2025, regarding the imminent SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission will feature four astronauts: NASA's Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Oleg Platonov from Roscosmos. The crew is trained to launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, propelled by a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The events commence at 12 p.m. EDT with a mission overview led by key NASA personnel, including Steve Stich, manager of the Commercial Crew Program at NASA Kennedy, and Bill Spetch, operations integration manager for the ISS Program at NASA Johnson. Following this, the crew members will participate in a news conference at 2 p.m., with individual interviews scheduled for 3 p.m. This marks the last media engagement with Crew-11 before their launch.

Zena Cardman, selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017, will make her first journey into space. She holds degrees in Biology and Marine Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has focused on geobiology and geochemical cycling research. Astronaut Mike Fincke, who has previously logged 382 days in space, will serve as the Crew-11 pilot. His extensive experience includes three prior missions and significant contributions to the Commercial Crew Program.

JAXA’s Kimiya Yui returns for his second spaceflight, having previously served as a flight engineer during Expedition 44/45. Yui has been instrumental in various experimental projects aboard the ISS. Meanwhile, Oleg Platonov, making his first spaceflight after being selected as a cosmonaut in 2018, brings credentials in engineering and state management.

The Crew-11 mission is slated for launch in late July or early August 2025, furthering international cooperation in space exploration. This mission is pivotal not only for scientific research aboard the ISS but also for the continued development of commercial spaceflight capabilities.

For further information regarding the mission and to access the live broadcasts, visit NASA's official website: https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew.