NASA Astronaut Zena Cardman to Command SpaceX Crew-11 Mission After Crew-9 Hiatus!

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman is ready to take the helm of SpaceX's Crew-11 flight to the International Space Station (ISS) after being unexpectedly removed from the Crew-9 mission last year! The announcement, made by agency officials on March 27, confirms that Cardman will command the upcoming mission, set to launch as early as July.

Cardman’s Crew-11 team comprises seasoned astronaut Mike Fincke, who will take on the role of pilot, along with Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, both serving as mission specialists. This highly anticipated launch marks an important milestone for all four astronauts, especially for Cardman and Platonov, who will be making their first spaceflight.

Last year, Cardman, along with fellow astronaut Stephanie Wilson, was pulled from the Crew-9 mission, which was originally scheduled to launch in September. Their seats were reassigned to veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were diverted from a long-duration mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule. Unfortunately, the Starliner mission faced a multitude of issues, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, leading to the decision to return the spacecraft uncrewed in early September. Wilmore and Williams ultimately participated in Crew-9's splashdown on March 18, an event that was notably attended by dolphins—a heartwarming spectacle amid the rigorous nature of space missions.

As for Wilson, NASA has yet to announce her future spaceflight plans, leaving fans and space enthusiasts eagerly awaiting her next assignment.

Crew-11 promises to be a groundbreaking mission, as it marks the first spaceflight for both Cardman and Platonov, who were selected for their respective roles in 2017 and 2018. In contrast, pilot Mike Fincke is a seasoned veteran, boasting three previous missions to the ISS, during which he amassed an impressive 382 days in space. Fincke’s assignment to Crew-11 comes after a reassignment from Boeing’s Starliner-1 mission, which has faced uncertainty due to technical challenges.

Meanwhile, Kimiya Yui brings his own wealth of experience, having served as a flight engineer on ISS Expeditions 44 and 45, where he spent 142 days aboard the station from late 2014 to mid-2015.

With such a diverse and skilled team, Crew-11 is shaping up to be an exciting new chapter in NASA and SpaceX's collaboration in space exploration! Keep watching the skies, as we inch closer to this remarkable journey!