How to watch SpaceX Crew-11?

Today, at 12:09 P.M. ET, SpaceX will launch the next rotation of four astronauts to the International Space Station. The mission will be more than just delivering new crew members; the Crew-11 mission will see some differences that show just how the ISS program is changing.

About Crew-11

SpaceX Crew-11 will launch NASA astronauts Zena Cardman (Commander), Michael Fincke (Pilot), JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. After launch, the crew will take its SpaceX Dragon capsule, named Dragon Endeavour, for a nearly two-day transit to the ISS before docking. This is one of the longest transfers completed by SpaceX yet.

While this is Cardman’s first spaceflight, she will serve as the spacecraft commander for Crew-11, and Fincke, a Space Shuttle astronaut with three spaceflights under his belt, will be the pilot. This has become the norm for commercial crew missions, where NASA picks the commander not for their experience but based on their ability to lead the mission, and the pilot usually ends up being the most experienced member of the crew.

Cardman has no military background, unlike many other astronauts; instead, she rose through the ranks as a researcher both at NASA and through the National Science Foundation. She was accepted as a NASA astronaut candidate in 2017 in NASA Group 22.

Potential mission extension

While Crew-11 is only planned to fly for six months, like all previous station crew rotations, there is talk that it could be extended to seven or even eight months to match Russia’s new rotation schedule. This new rotation schedule is intended to save money as it would likely mean fewer overall missions to the ISS in its lifespan and fewer per fiscal year.

The ISS is in its last few years of its life, with retirement planned in 2030. SpaceX will again be demonstrating reboosting the station with Endeavour to get more data on its future ISS Deorbit Vehicle it’s building for NASA. However, outside of that vehicle and talk about retirement, not much other planning has been shared yet for how NASA and its partners plan to deorbit the football-sized spacecraft after its mission is complete.

How to watch Crew-11 launch

Coverage for Crew-11’s launch has already begun with the crew getting suited up and delivered to the launch pad. You can find coverage of the launch anywhere NASA streams, including its NASA+ streaming service and, for the first time, on Netflix.

SpaceX will join in one stream and on its X profile about one hour prior to liftoff. NASA and SpaceX’s coverage will be the same and will be the best place for up-to-date information on the status of the launch.

While the weather looks great for today’s launch, a host of issues could still arise between now and liftoff, such as rocket malfunctions, violations of the range by planes or boats, or a pop-up storm.