US, Japanese, and Russian Astronauts to Launch Joint Mission to ISS

NASA and private space company SpaceX are preparing to launch their next manned mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 31, 2025.

According to NASA’s update on Thursday, the mission will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:09 p.m. Eastern Time. The spacecraft is expected to dock at the ISS on Saturday, August 2, around 3 a.m.

This mission, named Crew-11, will carry four astronauts: Gina Cardman and Mike Fincke from NASA, Kimia Yui from Japan’s space agency JAXA, and Oleg Platonov from Russia’s space agency Roscosmos.

Crew-11 is the 11th manned mission launched by SpaceX in partnership with NASA under its Commercial Crew Program. This program is a special project started by NASA to make space travel to the ISS safer, more reliable, and more cost-effective by working with private companies like SpaceX and Boeing.

By supporting private companies to develop their own spacecraft, NASA is helping expand the US’s ability to send astronauts into space independently. It also aims to make space exploration more sustainable and competitive in the long run.