Image Credentials: Image Title: SpaceX Dragon Successfully Delivers Crew-11 to International Space Station Source: (sora.chatgpt) Date: July 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (sora.chatgpt), it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer | Open Chronicle
In a flawless orbital rendezvous, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft delivered four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) early Saturday morning, completing a 15-hour journey from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew-11 mission marks another milestone in SpaceX’s expanding portfolio of human spaceflight achievements.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov joined the ISS at 3:46 a.m. EDT after the Dragon capsule, named Endeavour, docked with the Harmony module at 2:27 a.m. The docking occurred while the spacecraft was 264 miles above the South Pacific Ocean.
Following standard leak checks and pressurization between the spacecraft, the new arrivals were warmly welcomed by the station’s current residents. “Endeavour, welcome to the International Space Station. Zena, Mike, Kimi, and Oleg, we have cold drinks, hot food, and hugs waiting. See you soon,” said NASA astronaut Jonny Kim from aboard the ISS.
SPACE X Dragon Hatch OPEN —successfully boarding the International Space Station for NASA rescue mission
Thank you @elonmusk 🚀Alien 👽 on board to greet SPACE X pic.twitter.com/F3y5n2du6u
— Antonio Quintero🇺🇸 (@TonyQuinnTQ) March 16, 2025
The new arrivals join Expedition 73, which already consists of seven astronauts: JAXA’s Takuya Onishi (mission commander), NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky. Crew-10 members Ayers, McClain, Onishi, and Peskov, who have been on the ISS since March, are expected to return to Earth in the coming days.
“Hello space station, Crew 11 is here!” exclaimed Endeavour pilot Mike Fincke after the hatch opened. “We are super excited to join Expedition 73. We will do our best to be good stewards of our beautiful ISS during our stay. The ISS has been continuously inhabited for nearly 25 years, and we look forward to celebrating that milestone with you.”
The Crew-11 launch was initially scheduled for Thursday but was delayed due to adverse weather. On Friday, the Falcon 9 rocket successfully lifted off at 11:43 a.m. EDT, sending Endeavour on its sixth mission, making it the most-flown Crew Dragon capsule to date.
For Zena Cardman and Oleg Platonov, this mission marks their first voyage into space. Kimiya Yui embarks on his second mission, while veteran astronaut Mike Fincke completes his fourth. Cardman and Platonov were originally slated to fly as part of Crew-9 in September 2024, but scheduling adjustments due to Boeing Starliner’s prolonged stay at the ISS shifted their flight to Crew-11.
Reflecting on the journey, Cardman shared, “This has been the absolute journey of a lifetime. We are incredibly grateful to be here. Seeing the space station for the first time with these amazing crewmates was an unforgettable sight.”
SpaceX has now flown 11 operational crewed missions to the ISS, along with eight other human spaceflights, including the landmark Demo-2 test flight, four private missions with Axiom Space, and three free-flying orbital missions. Remarkably, the docking of Crew-11 took place exactly five years after the historic splashdown of SpaceX’s first crewed mission, Demo-2, also aboard Endeavour.
As Crew-11 settles into life aboard the ISS, their mission will focus on scientific research, station maintenance, and preparations for the ISS’s upcoming 25th anniversary of continuous human habitation.
The success of Crew-11 underscores SpaceX’s pivotal role in sustaining human presence in space and advancing international collaboration in low Earth orbit.