SpaceX Initiates Crew-11 Space journey to the International Space Station
On August 1, 2023, at 11:43 a.m. ET / 8:43 a.m. PT, NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 mission successfully launched from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission is the 11th operational crew rotation mission flying astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The four-person crew consists of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. They fly aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft named Endeavour, which has previously flown several crewed missions.
The mission objectives include performing scientific research, technology demonstrations, and maintenance aboard the ISS. Crew-11 will also contribute to NASA’s Artemis program by simulating lunar landing scenarios near the Moon’s South Pole to prepare astronauts for deep space exploration.
The Dragon capsule is bound for the ISS and is scheduled to autonomously dock with the station at approximately 3:00 a.m. ET / 12:00 a.m. PT on Saturday, August 2. A live webcast of the docking will be available to stream via SpaceX's official website, the new X TV app, and on X @SpaceX.
After stage separation, the Falcon 9's first stage completed a pinpoint landing on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking another booster recovery milestone for SpaceX.
SpaceX is NASA’s go-to partner for crewed missions to the orbiting laboratory, with the Crew-11 mission being part of a $1.5 billion, five-mission contract awarded to SpaceX by NASA in 2022. The contract includes Crew-10 (returning later this month), and future missions Crew-12, Crew-13, and Crew-14.
The successful launch follows last month’s AX-4 mission to the ISS, which SpaceX executed in partnership with Axiom Space. With every successful mission, SpaceX continues to solidify its role as a cornerstone of modern spaceflight.
[1] NASA (2023). Crew-11 Mission Profile. Retrieved from [link to follow the Dragon capsule's journey]
[2] NASA (2023). Crew-11 Astronauts. Retrieved from [link to information about the astronauts or crew members]
[3] NASA (2023). Crew-11 Objectives. Retrieved from [link to Crew-11 mission objectives]
[4] NASA (2023). Crew-11 Timeline. Retrieved from [link to Crew-11 timeline]
- The Crew-11 mission, a part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, utilizes science, space-and-astronomy, and technology to conduct research, demonstrate technologies, maintain the International Space Station (ISS), and prepare for deep space exploration, including lunar landing simulations.
- Inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft Endeavour, astronauts Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov employ advanced technology to execute their mission objectives, contributing to NASA's Artemis program and continuing SpaceX's role as a cornerstone of modern spaceflight.
