SpaceX is set to launch its Crew‑11 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday (July 31), and the event will stream live online. Here’s how and when you can watch it.
The Crew‑11 mission is targeting liftoff at 12:09 p.m. EDT (1609 GMT) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will send four astronauts to the space station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, marking the 11th operational commercial crew rotation flight and the 12th human spaceflight under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The launch will be livestreamed on multiple platforms, including social media, NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime and right here on Space.com. Coverage begins around 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) with prelaunch commentary, followed by live views of crew readiness and launch operations, according to a statement from the space agency.
Crew-11 will launch NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov to the orbiting lab for a six-month science mission.
The four astronauts will replace the members of Crew-10 currently onboard the ISS as part of the routine crew rotation that maintains a continuous presence on the space station. The two crews will overlap for about a week to allow a smooth transition of responsibilities, including handovers of ongoing experiments, maintenance tasks and station operations. After that, Crew-10 — which launched in March 2025 — will return to Earth aboard their own Crew Dragon spacecraft.
What time will SpaceX launch the Crew-11 astronauts?
Currently, SpaceX is targeting Thursday, July 31, for the launch of its Crew-11 astronaut mission for NASA. If all goes according to plan, the mission will lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 12:09 p.m. EDT (1609 GMT) from historic Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
Following liftoff, the crew will begin a 39-hour journey to orbit — longer than most recent crewed missions, which typically arrive at the space station in under 24 hours. The extended timeline allows for precise orbital alignment between the space station’s Harmony module and Crew Dragon Endeavour ahead of docking, which is currently scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 2, at approximately 3:00 a.m. EDT (0700 GMT), followed by hatch opening targeted for 4:45 a.m. EDT (0845 GMT).
Crew-11’s launch was moved up by about two weeks from its original window to accommodate a critical ISS reboost maneuver, which will be performed by SpaceX’s upcoming CRS-33 robotic resupply mission. CRS-33 will debut new altitude-control hardware on a Cargo Dragon capsule, advancing efforts to develop a U.S. vehicle capable of deorbiting the ISS around 2030.
The mission timeline was also coordinated with other spacecraft traffic at the orbiting lab — including the Ax‑4 private astronaut mission, which returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule “Grace” on July 15, clearing the way for Crew-11’s arrival.
Can I watch SpaceX’s Crew-11 astronaut launch online?
Yes, you can watch SpaceX’s Crew-11 launch live online, from liftoff to orbit — and even docking a day and a half later.
Viewers have several options to watch the launch live. NASA will stream the event for free on its NASA TV broadcast service, NASA+ streaming platform and NASA TV YouTube channel. Coverage is expected to begin around 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), with pre-launch commentary through liftoff and spacecraft separation. After that, audio-only updates will continue until Crew Dragon Endeavour begins its rendezvous with the space station, when live video coverage will resume on Saturday (Aug 2) around 1 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT) ahead of docking, hatch opening and crew arrival aboard the orbiting lab.
NASA is also expected to hold a post-launch news conference on July 31 at 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT) to discuss the results of the launch. That briefing will also be livestreamed via NASA TV and NASA+.
In addition to NASA’s channels, Crew-11 mission coverage will be available on Netflix, Amazon Prime and social media platforms. SpaceX will offer its own live webcast of the Crew-11 launch on its @SpaceX account on X, starting one hour before liftoff.
Space.com will simulcast NASA’s Crew-11 launch livestream on our VideoFromSpace YouTube channel, beginning at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT). You can also see that livestream at the top of this page.
Who are the Crew-11 astronauts?
Staying true to SpaceX’s standard crew size for missions aboard its Crew Dragon spacecraft, Crew-11 includes four astronauts. You can see detailed biographies of each member in our meet the crew story, but here is a brief synopsis.
Crew-11’s commander, Zena Cardman, is a NASA astronaut and marine biologist embarking on her first spaceflight. Veteran NASA astronaut Mike Fincke serves as pilot, bringing experience from three prior missions and overseeing spacecraft operations and navigation. Mission specialist Kimiya Yui, representing JAXA, returns to space with one previous flight experience to support research and station maintenance. Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov joins as mission specialist on his first flight, focusing on scientific experiments and station systems.
The Crew-11 flight will be the sixth mission for Endeavour, making it SpaceX’s most-flown Crew Dragon spacecraft. Over its career, Endeavour has received several upgrades, including the addition of drogue 3.1 parachutes, which feature stronger materials and an improved packing system for more controlled and reliable inflation.
Once docked, the Crew‑11 team will join the Expedition 73/74 mission aboard the station for approximately six months of scientific research, maintenance tasks and technology demonstrations.
