On August 2, 2025, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying four astronauts from NASA, Roscosmos, and JAXA, successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS). The crew includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui. This mission marks the 11th crew rotation under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
The launch took place on August 1, 2025, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew is scheduled to spend approximately six months aboard the ISS, conducting scientific research and preparing for future deep space exploration. Their activities will support the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and venture further into space.
This mission underscores the ongoing international cooperation in space exploration. Despite geopolitical tensions, collaboration between NASA and Roscosmos continues aboard the ISS, serving as a testament to the unifying power of science and exploration.
As the ISS approaches its planned decommissioning in 2030, missions like Crew-11 are crucial for advancing our understanding of space and developing technologies for future exploration endeavors.