KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – The launch of Crew-11 to the space station was scrubbed one minute before liftoff Thursday due to weather concerns.
“We just got clipped by a cumulus cloud,” a NASA commentator said at 12:08 p.m.
The morning started out with ideal weather, but the wind picked up and the clouds rolled in.
NASA will try again at 11:43 a.m. Friday, although the weather forecast is not favorable.
Once launched, the U.S., Japanese and Russian crew will spend at least six months at the space station, replacing colleagues launched in March as the fill-ins for NASA’s two stuck astronauts.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who’s temporarily leading NASA, was at Kennedy Space Center for the launch attempt.
Watch Thursday’s coverage again in the video player below or by clicking here.
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NASA and SpaceX are targeting Thursday for their next crewed launch to the International Space Station.
[MEET THE TEAM: Crew-11 heading to space station]
Crew-11 is set to launch no earlier than 12:09 p.m. from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Updates will be listed below. More details about the mission can be found further down.
11:38 a.m.: Less than an hour away from launch!
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11:25 a.m.: News 6 begins coverage of Crew-11 launch from Kennedy Space Center.
10:40 a.m.: Weather trends look great and launch is 90% “go,” with cumulus clouds as the main concern, NASA said.
10:40 a.m.: The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft previously flew NASA’s SpaceX Demo Mission-2, Crew-2, Crew-6 and Crew-8, in addition to Axiom Mission 1.
10:09 a.m.: The Dragon space capsule hatch has been closed, and Crew-11 is ready for launch, per SpaceX.
9:47a.m.: The crew has finished communication checks with the launch team, and their seats have been rotated into position for launch.
9:24 a.m.: All four Crew-11 crew members are boarding the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Once the crew is inside the seats will be rotated into a reclined position for launch.
9:16 a.m.: The Crew-11 astronauts arrive at launch site.
8:52 a.m.: The four astronauts are en route to Launch Pad 39A.
After waving to family, friends and the support team members gathered to see them off on their journey, the crew climbed into customized electric vehicles for the 20-minute ride to the launch pad and their waiting rocket, NASA said.
8:27 a.m.: The four astronauts set to launch to the space station were suited up and going through some final checks before heading to the launch pad.
They also played a card game, a tradition, to “shake up any bad luck,” the NASA commentator said.
8 a.m.: NASA begins coverage of the launch of Crew-11 from Kennedy Space Center.
“The sun is up, and soon so will be Crew-11,” a commentator said.
You can watch the livestream at the very top of this story.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke will be joined by mission specialists Kimiya Yui from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and Oleg Platonov, of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos.
Launching tomorrow: L-1. Space has been calling my name ever since I returned from my last mission in 2011. Our crew is ready. Let's do this! Go Falcon, Go Dragon, Go Crew-11! pic.twitter.com/f91BPiZ6Lt
— Col. Mike Fincke (@AstroIronMike) July 30, 2025
The crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A.
[SEE PREVIOUS CREW-10 COVERAGE BELOW]
Crew-11 marks the 11th crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and the private space company’s 12th astronaut flight to the space station, including the Demo-2 test flight, as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Once aboard the ISS, the crew will perform research, technology demonstrations, and maintenance activities.
The last crew, Crew-10, launched in March.
[VIDEO: See a simulated full-sized rocket engine static test fire at the Kennedy Space Center]