SpaceX launches international 4-member crew to ISS on Crew-11 mission

WASHINGTON

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched Friday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Crew-11 mission.

Lifting off at 11.43 am local time (1643GMT), the rocket carried NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The mission, originally scheduled for Thursday, was delayed due to inclement weather. Friday’s launch faced similar concerns but proceeded as planned.

The crew is expected to dock with the ISS after a 15-hour journey. The team will spend six months on board conducting science experiments ranging from stem cell research to plant biology.