Crew Dragon delivers 4 contemporary crew members to International Space Station

A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule homed in on the International Space Station early Saturday and glided in for a problem-free docking — delivering two NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and a Japanese flier — to the outpost after a 16-hour rendezvous.

Catching up from behind and beneath, the Crew 11 Dragon Endeavour looped up forward of the lab complicated, then to some extent straight above the outpost earlier than slowly transferring straight in for a linkup on the space-facing port of the ahead Harmony module at 2:27 a.m. ET as the 2 spacecraft orbited 264 miles above the south Pacific Ocean.

Hooks and latches then engaged, pulling the Crew Dragon’s nostril firmly into the docking mechanism, which locked the craft in place. Umbilicals routinely related and flight controllers started a collection of leak checks to confirm an hermetic structural seal.

“Endeavour, welcome to the International Space Station,” referred to as NASA astronaut Jonny Kim from contained in the ISS. “Zena, Mike, Kimi and Oleg, we have cold drinks, hot food and hugs waiting. See you soon.”

“Hello space station, Crew 11 is here!” Endeavour pilot Mike Fincke, a three-flight veteran, enthusiastically replied. “And we are super excited to join Expedition 73. We will do our best to also be good stewards of our beautiful ISS during our stay. The ISS has been inhabited and crewed for almost 25 years. We look forward to celebrating with you.”

Nearly three hours later, after doffing their spacesuits and configuring their capsule for docked operations, Fincke, Crew 11 commander Zena Cardman, making her first flight, Japanese veteran Kimiya Yui and rookie cosmonaut Oleg Platonov floated via the ahead hatch to be welcomed aboard by the area station’s seven-member crew.

“We are so happy to see your smiling faces,” stated ISS commander Takuya Onishi. “Zena, Oleg, congratulations on your first spaceflight. We are looking forward to hearing your impressions and your feelings about that. Mike and Kimiya, welcome back. Your experience will be an invaluable asset for Expedition 73.”

Cardman was bumped from a Crew Dragon flight final yr to assist NASA convey two Starliner astronauts again to Earth after issues prevented them from coming house on their very own spacecraft. She was clearly thrilled to lastly be aboard the area station.

“This has been the absolute journey of a lifetime,” she stated with a broad smile. “We are so incredibly grateful to be here. Thank you so much for this warm welcome. It was such an unbelievably beautiful sight to see the space station come into our view for the first time, especially with these wonderful crewmates.”

With the arrival of Crew 11, 4 of the station’s crew members — Crew 10 commander Anne McClain, pilot Nichole Ayers, Onishi and cosmonaut Kirill Peskov — can be clear to undock and return to Earth subsequent Wednesday to shut out a 145-day mission.

The different three — Kim and Soyuz MS-27/73S crewmates Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky — will stay aboard with Cardman and firm to proceed Expedition 73.

Until now, long-duration crews, U.S. and Russian, have usually spent round six months in orbit. But beginning with the Soyuz MS-27/73S mission, the Russians have switched to eight-month stays. NASA might comply with go well with with Crew 11.

The Trump administration’s proposed finances for fiscal 2026 would scale back NASA funding by practically 25% whereas directing the company to reduce work aboard the ISS in favor of extra aggressive planning for eventual crewed missions to Mars.

NASA managers at the moment are contemplating lengthening crew stays and probably decreasing Dragon crews from 4 to 3. A diminished crew would wish fewer resupply missions, saving extra cash.

No remaining selections have been made. But NASA is assessing the potential for extending Crew 11’s keep in area from six to eight months, relying on the precise funding outlook.

“I can’t wait to be in space, and two extra months would be a gift,” Cardman stated earlier than launch. “Yes, we’re baselined for six months right now, with the ability to extend that pending further analysis. For me, it would be an absolute privilege to stay for even longer.”