NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with Kimiya Yui from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos, have arrived at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida in preparation for their upcoming mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The astronauts touched down at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) at 13:12 EDT (17:12 GMT) on Saturday, July 26, 2025, after flying from Ellington Field in Houston, Texas.
Cardman, who will serve as the Crew-11 commander, expressed excitement about their 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.”
SpaceX’s Crew-11 is scheduled to launch aboard the Dragon “Endeavour” on a Falcon 9 rocket from KSC’s Launch Complex 39A on July 31, 2025, at 12:09 p.m. EDT (16:09 GMT). If the mission proceeds as planned, the crew will dock with the ISS on August 2, 2025, joining Expedition 73 and later Expedition 74.
Fincke, who will act as the Crew-11 pilot, reflected on his return to the LLF. “Boy, it’s great to be back,” he remarked. “One of the last times I landed here was on the space shuttle Endeavour, and now we get to go on another endeavor, a Dragon Endeavour, this time.”
On Friday, mission managers completed a flight readiness review and granted the green light for launch preparations to move forward. “We’re looking forward to launching soon,” Fincke added, highlighting the team’s readiness for the mission ahead.
As the countdown to their launch begins, the crew’s focus will be on the final preparations and training necessary for a successful mission to the ISS. With a wealth of experience among them, the Crew-11 team is poised for their journey into space, eager to contribute to ongoing research and exploration efforts aboard the orbiting laboratory.
