Crew 11 Heads towards the International Space Station

Kennedy Space Center, FL. – Liftoff! After a scrub with only a minute in the countdown due to weather on the missions first attempt, today the four Crew 11 astronauts all strapped into the Dragon Endeavour lifted off from Launch Complex 39-A on August 1, 2025, at 11:49 AM.  Shortly after launch, the previously flown first stage booster landed at Landing Zone 1 not from from the launch pad.

Image Credit:  Michael Seeley - We Report Space

Today’s launch was nearly in question as the weather in the area was in a state of flux and could have once again halted the zero-window opportunity.

Flying in Dragon Endeavor are Crew 11 astronauts Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The crew is heading to the International Space Station (I.S.S.) for an extended stay of an expected six months aboard the orbiting outpost to conduct a variety of experiments including medical as well as practicing for future lunar landings. Once they arrive at the station, Dragon will be docking to the space facing portion of the Harmony module on the I.S.S.

In a statement from NASA: “The agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the space station is the first step toward our permanent presence on the Moon. NASA, in conjunction with great American companies, continues the mission with Artemis in 2026. This Moon mission will ensure America wins the space race - critical to national security - and leads in the emerging, exciting and highly profitable private sector commercial space business,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. “The Commercial Crew Program and Artemis missions prove what American ingenuity, and cutting-edge American manufacturing can achieve. We’re going to the Moon…to stay! After that, we go to Mars! Welcome to the Golden Age of exploration!”

While missions to the Internation Space Station will continue, the future of the station remains a bit uncertain. Current plans and thoughts are for the “retirement” and deorbit of the outpost on or after 2030.

Story By: Michael Howard – We Report Space

Image Credits: Michael Seeley and Graham Smith – We Report Space