NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, have arrived in Florida in preparation for their upcoming launch to the International Space Station (ISS). The crew touched down at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at 13:12 EDT (17:12 GMT) after flying from Ellington Field in Houston, Texas.
Cardman, who serves as the commander for Crew-11, expressed her excitement upon arrival. “We are absolutely joyed to be here at Kennedy Space Center,” she stated. “This is the first moment when it’s really starting to feel real. This is the beginning of a week when things will feel progressively more and more real as we approach our launch.”
Launch Preparations Underway
The astronauts are set to launch aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, named “Endeavour,” on a Falcon 9 rocket from KSC’s Launch Complex 39A on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 12:09 EDT (16:09 GMT). If the mission proceeds as planned, they will dock with the ISS on Saturday, August 2, 2025, joining the station’s Expedition 73 crew, which will later transition to Expedition 74.
Fincke, who will pilot Crew-11, reflected on his prior experiences, stating, “Boy, it’s great to be back. One of the last times I landed at the LLF was on space shuttle Endeavour, and now we get to go on another endeavor, a Dragon Endeavour, this time.”
Mission managers have already given the green light for launch preparations after completing a thorough flight readiness review on Friday. The team is eager to commence this significant journey into space.
The Crew-11 mission not only highlights international collaboration in space exploration but also underscores the ongoing commitment of NASA and its partners to advance human presence in low Earth orbit. As the launch date approaches, anticipation builds among the astronauts and the teams supporting them.