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Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How NASA's upcoming Crew-11 astronauts were impacted by Boeing Starliner incident
NASA's next crew heading to the International Space Station is set to arrive in Florida in the coming weeks − and this Crew-11 mission is in more ways than one the follow-up mission to last year's ill-fated Starliner flight test. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are set to embark on an eight-month mission to the ISS as part of NASA's crew rotation on the orbiting outpost. The crew of four expect to liftoff in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft no earlier than 12:09 p.m. July 31 from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. When the Boeing Starliner flight test ran into trouble last year, many things got moved around, reshaping Crew-11 in the process. Astronauts bumped from previous missions are finally getting the chance to fly. "We were joyed when we got Starliner up into space, and our friends Butch and Suni docked to the space station," Finke said during a recent press briefing. "And then things changed." Fincke was originally slated to fly on Starliner's first crew rotation mission, as was Yui. Both were reassigned to this SpaceX Dragon mission. Going further back, Fincke was originally set to fly on that ill-fated Starliner flight test. Instead, Fincke became a backup astronaut, with NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore becoming the final Starliner flight test crew. Wilmore and Williams flew to the ISS onboard the Boeing Starliner in June 2024 on the flight which would have certified the spacecraft to ferry NASA astronauts alongside SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. Things did not go as planned, with helium leaks and a thruster malfunction occurring all before the duo were able to safely dock to the ISS. After much investigation, NASA decided to return the Starliner without Williams and Wilmore. This led to the agency to extend the stay of the two astronauts on the ISS and return them as part of Crew-9 on that particular SpaceX Dragon. Starliner flight test incident recap: How Boeing's Starliner test flight got here and what NASA might do to bring astronauts home What was originally set to be a 10 day test flight turned into more than nine months and led to national headlines about the crew "stuck in space." They safely returned home in March. Zena Cardman was set to see her first spaceflight on that Crew-9 flight, but instead was bumped from the mission alongside Stephanie Wilson to allow room for the return of Williams and Wilmore. "I had many hopes for Crew-9, but my only promise was to do everything in my control for a safe splashdown of Crew-9, and we did that together," said Cardman. Williams and Wilmore arrived back on Earth in March 2025, splashing down off the Gulf Coast of Florida in that Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft. Cardman, Fincke, and Yui claim their major assignment changes worked out. "It's often said that it's not when you fly, but with whom you fly, and it worked out super well," said Fincke. "Yes, of course it was an unexpected change," she said. "But spaceflight is not about me or any individual. It's about what we can do together. None of us can do this by ourselves." "Now I have the opportunity to train with this wonderful, amazing, crew," Cardman added. "Life is a journey. It takes many turns, and I'm just grateful to be here." "Starliner changed a lot in our office. Starliner is really important that we have more opportunities and more capabilities to fly into space," said Finke. "And that's why the Commercial Crew Program is still working hard with Boeing to get Starliner to be a viable transportation system up and down from the space station." NASA has repeatedly stated the need for redundancy in the Commercial Crew Program, seeking two functional spacecraft models in rotation. Boeing's Starliner was awarded a NASA contract alongside SpaceX as part of the Commercial Crew Program back in 2014. While SpaceX proved the Dragon in 2020 with the successful Demo-2 mission, Starliner has yet to fully complete an astronaut mission. SpaceX Dragon has since gone on to complete almost 10 crew rotations for NASA, with the addition of seven private astronaut missions. The initial contracts were for $4.82 billion for Boeing and $3.14 billion for SpaceX. According to Steve Stich, manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, NASA hopes for a Starliner flight as soon as next year. Currently, NASA is leaning towards the first return flight being a cargo mission. However, a final decision has yet to be made. When is the next launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral Stich told media that Starliner is currently undergoing a lot of testing after the test flight mishap. Teams are looking into the helium leaks which occurred as well as the thruster issues. This includes pulse testing of the thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. "What we're looking at is can we test all the changes we are making," said Stich. Until the resolutions of the issues seen on the Starliner flight test are found, Starliner's next flight date remains up in the air. Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@ or on X: @brookeofstars. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Here's how NASA Crew-11 was reshaped by Boeing Starliner incident
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA, SpaceX target July 31 for launch of Crew-11 to ISS
NASA and SpaceX are now targeting July 31 for the launch of Crew-11 to the International Space Station, a mission moved up to accommodate upcoming station activities. The flight will carry NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The crew will launch aboard the same Crew Dragon capsule that first flew astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the ISS over five years ago. The July 31 target date will allow Crew-11 to relieve Crew-10 before an upcoming Cargo Dragon mission, which will include an extended reboost experiment to raise the orbit of the space station. The astronauts gave their final update from Houston this afternoon before heading to Kennedy Space Center to prepare for their six to eight-month science mission. 'Life is a journey, it takes many turns, and I'm just grateful to be here,' said NASA astronaut Zena Cardman. 'It's often said that it's not when you fly, but with whom you fly, and it worked out super well,' said Fincke. NASA also confirmed that Boeing's Starliner spacecraft could still fly future commercial crew missions. 'Starliner is really important that we have more opportunities and more capabilities to fly into space,' said Fincke. The flight readiness review for Crew-11 is scheduled for next week, around the time Axiom-4 is expected to return with a splashdown off the U.S. West Coast. There will be a short handover between Crew-10 and Crew-11 before Crew-10 heads home. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA's Crew-11 astronauts prepare for ISS mission
(NewsNation) — NASA's Crew-11 team shared their expectations for the upcoming crew rotation to the International Space Station, along with some of the ways they will take a little bit of home with them. The mission is expected to launch in late July or early August and will carry a crew of four. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov will travel to the ISS on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Trump taps Sean Duffy as interim NASA administrator The group will conduct experiments, including research on the human body. Amazon Prime Day Deals — All the top deals as Prime Day 2025 continues on — Shop all of the best tech bargains available before Black Friday — Ring Doorbells and other Amazon devices are up to 50% off BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. It will be Cardman's first spaceflight and Fincke's fourth. Yui will be traveling to the space station for the second time and Platanov will also be making his first spaceflight. The crew will be at the space station on the 25th anniversary of continuous human spaceflight and are taking memories from Earth with them on their trip. Most said they were taking photographs, and Fincke said he would also be carrying an Indian silk scarf known as a gamosa, a symbol of blessings from his wife's side of the family. Cardman and Fincke were originally set to travel to the ISS earlier, but plans were changed to allow Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return home after an unexpectedly long stay. Walmart recalls about 850,000 water bottles after 2 people blinded Cardman said while she was disappointed as an individual, space exploration isn't about any one person. 'Spaceflight is not about me or any individual, it's what we can do together,' she said. 'Life is a journey, it takes many turns, and I'm just grateful to be here.' As experienced astronauts, Fincke and Yiu were asked about their favorite space foods. Fincke said he was most fond of tortillas, while Yiu chose Japanese food, something he said he also shares with fellow ISS crew to help encourage friendships. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania native flying on next SpaceX Dragon flight
(WHTM) – A Pennsylvania native will be part of a four-person crew flying on the next SpaceX Dragon launch. NASA says Allegheny County native and veteran astronaut Mike Fincke will make his fourth trip to the International Space Station on a SpaceX flight scheduled for this summer. The SpaceX Crew-11 mission will take Fincke, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov from the Kennedy Space Center to the ISS. The crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company's Falcon 9 rocket in either late July or early August. NASA says the crew will 'conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future missions to the Moon, as well as benefit people on Earth.' Fincke has logged 382 days in space and nine spacewalks in his first three missions, the last of which was in 2011. The commander on Fincke's last mission was astronaut Mark Kelly, who now serves in the United States Senate. This will be Platonov's and Cardman's first spaceflight, while Tui has made one previous trip to space. The crew is scheduled to return to Earth in 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX Crew-11 astronauts put things into perspective
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. This photo shows NASA's next crew to fly to the International Space Station, SpaceX's Crew-11, posing for a photo during a recent visit to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left to right: Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos, Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman of NASA and JAXA astronaut Kimiya them is a flight-proven SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket awaiting, like them, its next launch. The photo was taken inside SpaceX's Hangar X at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Serving as SpaceX's rocket assembly building, the company erected Hangar X just outside the perimeter of Launch Complex 39A so rockets ready to fly can easily roll out on a transporter and be erected atop the launch pad. At the angle the photograph was taken, the four crew members either look really, really tiny or the Falcon 9 rocket looks really, really large. Depending on your perspective, the whole scene may look like a set of miniatures, positioned and photographed to appear like the real-life scene it is. You can read more about the astronauts and cosmonaut assigned to fly on Crew-11.
