The next four crew members set to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) have officially arrived at their launch site. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, alongside Kimiya Yui from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Oleg Platonov representing Roscosmos, traveled on a NASA aircraft from Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Their flight landed at Space Florida's Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) at 1:12 p.m. EDT (1712 GMT) on Saturday, July 26.
Upon arrival, Zena Cardman, the Crew-11 commander, expressed her excitement, stating, "We are absolutely joyed to be here at Kennedy Space Center. This is the first moment when it's really starting to feel real." Cardman emphasized that this marks the beginning of a week filled with anticipation as the crew prepares for their launch.
Cardman, Fincke, Yui, and Platonov are scheduled to launch as part of SpaceX's Crew-11 mission aboard the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. The launch is set to take place on Thursday, July 31, at 12:09 p.m. EDT (1609 GMT) from KSC's Launch Complex 39A. If all goes according to plan, the crew will dock with the ISS next Saturday, August 2, joining the station's Expedition 73 and later Expedition 74 teams.
Reflecting on his experiences, Crew-11 pilot Mike Fincke shared his enthusiasm, saying, "Boy, it's great to be back. One of the last times I landed at the LLF was on space shuttle Endeavour, and now we get to go on another endeavor, a Dragon Endeavour, this time." His remarks highlight the significance of this mission in the context of his past experiences in space travel.
On the preceding Friday, mission managers conducted a flight readiness review and ultimately gave a “go” for launch preparations to move forward. Fincke added, "We're looking forward to launching soon," indicating the team's eagerness as they finalize their preparations for the upcoming mission to the ISS.
This launch represents a significant step in ongoing efforts to maintain a human presence in space and conduct vital research aboard the International Space Station. Stay tuned for more updates as Crew-11 approaches their historic launch.
