SpaceX Crew-11 Mission Sends 4 Astronauts to ISS in Record-Time US Mission

In one of the fastest trips yet for a US space mission, SpaceX's Crew-11 successfully delivered four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in a duration of just 15 hours following liftoff from Florida.

Fast-Track to Space

Launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Friday at 11:43 am Eastern Time, the Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS early Saturday at 2:27 am ET, SpaceX confirmed on its website and X account.

The SpaceX capsule's arrival temporarily brought the count of members aboard the space station to 11, according to a report published by The Associated Press.

"Hello, space station!" NASA astronaut Mike Fincke quipped as the capsule docked above the South Pacific. Fincke, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1996, is currently serving as Pilot for NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the ISS, where he will be a member of Expeditions 73/74.

A Crew From Three Nations

NASA scientists Zena Cardman, Japan's Kimiya Yui and Russia's Oleg Platonov are among those joining Fincke on the Crew-11 mission.

Cardman was reportedly pulled from a previous SpaceX flight last year to make room for Boeing Starliner test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were stuck on the ISS far longer than planned -- from one week to over nine months. Fincke and Yui were both preparing for the next Starliner flight, now delayed until at least 2026 due to technical issues.

A Familiar Spacecraft

The Dragon spacecraft has previously supported multiple missions including Demo-2, Crew-2, Ax-1, Crew-6, and Crew-8. The Falcon 9 booster -- flying for the third time -- successfully landed at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station post-launch, SpaceX announced.

What is Next for the Crew?

The astronauts are expected to conduct research critical for future deep-space exploration and for scientific benefits back on Earth. The four astronauts currently onboard since March are scheduled to return to Earth as early as Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Russia holds the record for the shortest ISS flight of three hours.