SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour poised to establish a new flight record on Thursday
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour Sets Record for Sixth Mission
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Michael Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are set to make history as they embark on a six-month mission aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour, marking the spacecraft's sixth flight and a new record for the most missions flown by a Crew Dragon capsule.
The launch, scheduled for just after midday ET on Thursday from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will be a significant milestone for both NASA and SpaceX. This mission, known as Crew-11, will be the 16th crewed Dragon flight overall, including the historic Demo-2 mission in May 2020.
The Crew Dragon Endeavour has undergone thorough checks and maintenance since its last flight, carrying the Crew-10 mission in December 2024. Notable upgrades have been made to the spacecraft over time, including improvements to the heat shield and parachute deployment system, enhancing safety and reusability for extended operations.
The crew will spend nearly two days transiting to the International Space Station (ISS) before docking autonomously at the Harmony module's forward-facing port. Upon arrival, they will join the seven-member Expedition 73 crew on ISS and undertake research and maintenance, eventually handing over to Crew-12 or next rotations before returning to Earth. Weather conditions at splashdown sites off California will be assessed before return.
Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, described the launch as "a really important mission for us." The success of this mission continues SpaceX's pioneering work in reusable crew spacecraft, advancing long-duration stays aboard ISS while preparing for future deep space exploration missions.
SpaceX currently operates four additional Crew Dragon capsules: Resilience, Endurance, Freedom, and Grace. Resilience, Endurance, and Freedom have each flown four times, while Grace, SpaceX's newest Crew Dragon, has only flown once to date. Meanwhile, Boeing's Starliner capsule had issues during a test flight in 2024, which has potentially jeopardized plans for its deployment by NASA.
As NASA transitions to SpaceX's Starship spacecraft for crewed flights in the future, the Crew Dragon Endeavour continues to demonstrate SpaceX's success with spacecraft reuse in NASA's Commercial Crew Program. This mission is not just a stepping stone towards deep space exploration, but a testament to the progress made in reusable space technology.
Science and technology are at the forefront of this mission, as NASA astronauts are set to conduct groundbreaking research on board the International Space Station after the successful launch of SpaceX's reusable Crew Dragon Endeavour, marking its sixth flight and a record for the most missions flown by a Crew Dragon capsule in space-and-astronomy.
