Kennedy Space Center – The business of making humans worse in space is reaching on the Space Coast on a daily basis as the fourth flight of the SpaceX crew took place this week. The crew who went on board arrived in Florida on Saturday.
NASA Astronauts Xena Cardman and Mike Finke, Jakusa (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Astronauts Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos Cosmono Oleg Platonov, a quartet for Space Crew 11 mission, flew to the space station of KSC, above the ksc space station under the tarmac climbing under the tarmac sun, and below the ksc, under the ksc, under the tarmac climbing under the tarmac sun, and below the ksc space station.
“I’m sorry about the heat, but it’s Florida in the summer,” the crew continued to crack jokes in the photos, creating bunny ears behind Platonov’s head.
They are scheduled to lift from KSC launch pad 39-A on top of the Falcon 9 rocket riding on the Crew Dragon Endybar until 12:09pm on Thursday.
“We’ve been training together for over a year and we’re ready to fly,” said Cardman, who is in his first space flight. “As my first flyer, this is the first moment I’m starting to feel really real.”
They hope that at least six months of stay will stay at the space station and ease four members of the crew since March.
In addition to two NASA flights this year, SpaceX flew a private polar orbital mission FRAM2 in March and last month a private Axiom Space AX-4 mission to the space station.
The release is shy of five human space flight missions from Florida seen in 2024, but equals the number of people released in space in 16. Last year’s Boeing Star Liner CFT mission and Crew 9 mission both flew with two crew members rather than four. That’s because Crew-9 went home for Starliner astronauts after NASA chose to send its crew except for safety concerns, except for Boeing’s wife’s spaceship home.
He grows a bunny ear behind Roscosmos Cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, taking photos with NASA astronaut Michael Finke, right, crewmate of Crew 11, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman and Jakusa Asternat Kimiya Yu. (Richard Toribou/Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut Michael Finke talks about how he began ald after arriving at the Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, July 26, 2025, going to the space that caused laughs from Jakusa astronaut Kimiya Yui. (Richard Toribou/Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut and pilot Michael Finke gives handoff waves to NASA astronaut and commander Zena Cardman, left, Roscosmos Kosmov and Commander Oleg Platonov, Jakusa astronaut Kimiya Yu. (Richard Toribou/Orlando Sentinel)
NASA astronaut and pilot Michael Finke arrived at the space station on April 26th, when Jakusa astronaut Kimiya Yui arrived at the space station after they and their fellow crew, NASA astronaut, Commander Xena Cardman and Roscosmos Cosmonate Oleg Platonov. (Richard Toribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The four members of the crew arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, July 26, 2025, ahead of this week’s start to the International Space Station. From left, NASA astronauts and commander Zena Cardman, NASA astronauts and pilot Michael Finke, Jakusa astronauts Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos Cosnot Oleg Platonov are accompanied by the translators. (Richard Toribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The four members of the crew arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, July 26, 2025, ahead of this week’s start to the International Space Station. From left, NASA astronauts and commander Zena Cardman, NASA astronauts and pilot Michael Finke, Jakusa astronauts Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos Cosnot Oleg Platonov are accompanied by the translators. (Richard Toribou/Orlando Sentinel)
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He grows a bunny ear behind Roscosmos Cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, taking photos with NASA astronaut Michael Finke, right, crewmate of Crew 11, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman and Jakusa Asternat Kimiya Yu. (Richard Toribou/Orlando Sentinel)
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Endeavor is making a record-breaking trip to Space, the first fleet of SpaceX’s five-man crew dragons, as it seeks to extend its utility beyond the original five NASA-certified flights.
Cardman was originally tapped as the commander of a Crew 9 mission, but as a newcomer, she bumped into another member of the crew who had experience in flight. She is now back in crew 11 as its commander.
She will be the last of the 12 NASA astronauts in the 2017 class known as the Turtles and create space.
“In spaceflight, travel is often non-linear, and it’s a privilege to be here with this crew, especially. I’m on board Johnny Kim, one of my classmates (now a member of the expedition).
Fincke was also reassigned from what was thought to be Starliner-1, Starliner’s first operational crew mission, but moved on to this SpaceX mission as Boeing and NASA continue to tackle Starliner issues. He traveled with Soyuz in 2004 and 2008, and his fourth trip into space, taking his penultimate trip to STS-134 in the Space Shuttle program at Space Shuttle Endeavor in 2011.
“It was a really interesting journey to see a brand new spaceship being built,” Finke said. “Both the teams at SpaceX and Boeing are extremely proud of what they’ve built together and are really proud to actually fly on a commercial crew spacecraft.”
Japan’s Yui was also training for Starliner Flights, but headed for her second trip to space in 2015, when she was on the Soyuz Mission.
“My last mission was 10 years ago, so I’m really looking forward to returning to my house,” he said.
Platonov joins Cardman as the second newcomer in this mission.
When the station reaches the milestone on November 2nd, the four will board. This means 25 years of continuous occupation. They will be part of the expeditions 73 and 74, along with the three members who flew out to the Soyuz.
“I personally look forward to returning to the space station. I helped build it, and now I can see it with six other crew members and its full maturity,” Finke said.
NASA is about to discontinue the station after 2030.
“I know it’s coming closer to that era, but this is something I think we should really remember all the cool things we can do when we work together constructively,” Finke said.
Original issue: July 26, 2025, 11:03am EDT
