MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – NASA and SpaceX are preparing for a second attempt to launch the Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday morning.
The four-person crew—NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos—will board SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft ahead of liftoff aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – JULY 31: Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, Jaxa astronaut Kimiya Yui, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Control Building at the Kennedy Space Center for
FOX 35 News will stream live coverage of the rocket launch in the video player above once it begins. Stay tuned below for real-time updates throughout the event:
7:54 a.m. | The astronauts are suiting up in the Astronaut Crew Quarters inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Crew-11 launch time
Timeline:
Liftoff is set for 11:43 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A backup opportunity is available on Saturday.
The launch was originally planned for Thursday afternoon but was called off T-minus one minute before liftoff due to cloud cover, violating weather safety criteria.
What is the weather forecast for the Crew-11 launch?
What we know:
There’s a 75% chance of a go for weather at the launch time of 11:43 a.m.
Generally speaking, the odds are favorable, but, as the sea-breeze begins to kick in and move inland, it typically helps produce clouds initially and eventually showers/storms.
The exact placement of the clouds will be crucial for the launch and it won’t be an entirely cloudy or overcast sky.
What is the purpose of the Crew-11 mission?
Big picture view:
Once aboard the ISS, the team will spend about six months conducting scientific experiments, running technology demos, and preparing for future exploration — including the Moon and beyond. Their work supports both life on Earth and future human missions into deep space.
The mission will mark the next exciting chapter in NASA and SpaceX’s partnership to support long-duration human spaceflight and cutting-edge research in low-Earth orbit.
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Crew-11 is the 11th crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its 12th flight with astronauts, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the space station through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by NASA and SpaceX.