International Space Station welcomes SpaceX's Crew-11 astronauts (video footage)
SpaceX's Crew-11 Mission Successfully Docks with the International Space Station
SpaceX's Crew-11 mission, commanded by NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, has arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) after a 39-hour journey. The Crew Dragon capsule named Endeavour docked with the ISS on Saturday at 2:26 a.m. EDT (0626 GMT).
The Crew-11 mission marks the start of regular crew rotations to the ISS using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule. It follows the successful Demo-2 test mission in May 2020, which was SpaceX's first crewed launch to the ISS.
Since then, SpaceX has conducted multiple crew rotation missions, providing transportation for NASA astronauts and international partners. The most recent mission, Crew-11, features astronauts from NASA, Japan Aeroexploration Agency (JAXA), and Russia's Roscosmos agency.
The Crew-11 astronauts are joining seven people aboard the ISS, including cosmonauts from Roscosmos. They are relieving the crew members who arrived at the ISS in mid-March on SpaceX's Crew-10 mission.
SpaceX's role has expanded from initial test flights to regular and private crewed missions, demonstrating the transition toward commercial human spaceflight servicing low Earth orbit. The company has also flown eight other crewed flights, including three free-flying missions to orbit and missions operated by Axiom Space.
The hatches between the ISS and Crew Dragon Endeavour are expected to open around 4:45 a.m. EDT (0845 GMT), following a welcome ceremony on the ISS about an hour after the hatches open. This is the sixth trip into space for Endeavour, SpaceX's most-flown crew capsule.
The Crew-11 mission is the 11th operational astronaut mission SpaceX has flown to the ISS, not including the three free-flying missions to orbit. The mission is not the first time SpaceX has flown a free-flying mission to orbit or a mission to the ISS for Axiom Space.
The Crew-11 astronauts are Mike Fincke (NASA astronaut), Kimiya Yui (mission specialist from JAXA), and Oleg Platonov (mission specialist from Roscosmos agency). This is the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov, the second for Yui, and the fourth for Fincke.
This article was updated at 3:30 a.m. ET on Aug. 2 with news of successful docking. The docking occurred less than 15 hours after the launch of the Crew-11 mission atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Space Coast. The mission featured an 18-day stay for private astronauts conducting extensive scientific research aboard the ISS in June 2025, as part of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4).
The Crew-11 mission is the latest update in a series of rocket launches and skywatching events.
The Crew-11 mission's successful docking with the International Space Station marks an exciting point in the integration of commercial human spaceflight, as SpaceX continues to demonstrate its capabilities in space-and-astronomy and technology. The ongoing mission, led by NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, is part of the increasing use of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule for regular crew rotations, and serves as a stepping stone for more scientific research, as evident in the planned 18-day stay for private astronauts on the ISS as part of Axiom Mission 4 in June 2025.
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