Crew 11 launches today, mission to the International Space Station

All is ready for the launch of Crew 11 , the mission to the International Space Station with four astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule, on its sixth spaceflight , a record for any SpaceX-built spacecraft. Liftoff is scheduled for 6:09 PM Italian time from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

"I'm really looking forward to the launch of this mission, but as always, we launch when we're ready," said NASA Space Operations Manager Ken Bowersox during the pre-launch press conference. Crew 11 is the new mission that will carry four new astronauts to the ISS , for a mission of at least six months but which could be extended to eight. Specifically, Americans Zena Cardman, in the role of commander, and pilot Mike Fincke, on his fourth visit to orbit; Russian Oleg Platonov; and Japanese mission specialist Kimiya Yui, on her second visit to the ISS.

After an initial cancellation of the rocket's static firing test, with the engines firing but the rocket docked to the launch pad, due to a problem with the platform's systems, the test was successfully completed the following day, and everything is now ready for today's launch. The latest weather forecast is favorable , with a 90% chance of success; arrival is scheduled for 10 a.m. Italian time on August 2 , where the four astronauts will relieve those of Crew 10. They will be tasked with carrying out various scientific experiments , including one on the impact of weightlessness on the development of stem cells, but most of the attention will focus primarily on the Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule.

The SpaceX-developed capsules had been certified for five flights, but Endeavour, on its sixth flight, has been modernized with some improvements and its operations have been extended. For this reason, "this is a really important mission for us," added Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Spaceflight Program.