Crew-11 was the eleventh operational crewed mission that SpaceX has launched for NASA under the agency’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP), a partnership launched in the 2010s to return astronaut launches to U.S. soil.
The mission also shows the growing popularity in public-private partnerships in spaceflight, with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 reusable rocket and Crew Dragon capsule now regular fixtures on NASA’s manifest.
What is it?
Bathed in a golden sunrise, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket assigned to the Crew-11 mission was poised for flight on July 31, 2025.
The Falcon 9, named after the famous “Star Wars” spacecraft the Millenium Falcon, is SpaceX’s workhorse rocket, and its reusable first stage makes spaceflight more efficient and less costly. The two-stage rocket is often used to ferry Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit.
Where is it?
The rocket sits on a launch pad at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Why is it amazing?
The Crew-11 mission, with its four astronauts, is headed to the International Space Station, where the team will participate in biomedical research, Earth observation, and other studies as part of the outpost’s Expedition 73 mission.
Despite the picture-perfect morning skies and a rocket stacked and ready, the first launch attempt on July 31, 2025 was scrubbed due to weather. A second attempt occurred in the late morning on Aug. 1, with a successful launch as the Falcon 9 rocket lifted off the launch pad and sent the Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour toward the ISS.
Want to learn more?
You can read more about the Crew-11 mission and the ongoing research at the ISS.
