NASA and SpaceX are set for the launch of Crew-11 on July 31, 2025, marking the next crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch is scheduled to occur from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, utilizing the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft along with a Falcon 9 booster.
Endeavour’s Milestone Flight
Crew-11 will represent the sixth flight for the Crew Dragon Endeavour, establishing it as SpaceX’s most experienced crew vehicle to date. According to Sarah Walker, SpaceX’s director of Dragon mission management, Endeavour has successfully transported 18 astronauts from eight different countries since its inaugural mission with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in 2020. Walker remarked, “This Dragon spacecraft has successfully flown 18 crew members representing eight countries to space already, starting with Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in 2020, when it returned human spaceflight capabilities to the United States for the first time since the shuttle retired in July 2011.”
For this particular mission, Endeavour will introduce SpaceX’s upgraded drogue 3.1 parachutes, which are designed to enhance reentry safety. This operational test is part of SpaceX’s continuous efforts to improve its human-rated spacecraft technology.
Launch Logistics and Crew Details
The Falcon 9 booster designated for this mission, core B1094, has a notable history, having previously launched in two Starlink missions and the private Ax-4 mission on June 25, 2025. Crew-11 will consist of four members: NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov.
As NASA coordinates a packed schedule of missions, the timing of Crew-11’s launch is critical. The crew is expected to arrive at the ISS just as Crew-10 departs and SpaceX’s CRS-33 mission arrives. Bill Spetch from NASA highlighted the importance of meticulous planning due to limited launch resources. He stated, “Providing multiple methods for us to maintain the station altitude is critically important as we continue to operate and get the most use out of our limited launch resources that we do have. We’re really looking forward to demonstrating that capability with CRS-33 showing up after we get through the Crew-11 and Crew-10 handover.”
With the launch fast approaching, both NASA and SpaceX are preparing for a significant milestone in their partnership, further advancing human spaceflight capabilities.
