KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL, July 31, 2025 – Four astronauts are set to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission. Over the coming months, the crew will support research to produce stem cells in space, study engineered liver tissue and advance in-orbit data processing. The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than 12:09 p.m. EDT on July 31, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman (commander) and Mike Fincke (pilot), along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui (mission specialist) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov (mission specialist), will serve as part of the Expedition 73 and 74 crew. During the mission, the crew will work on several payloads sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory to benefit humanity and foster an economy in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Below are some ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations the crew will work on:.
- Two projects are examining how stem cells mature in space, with the goal of improving tissue development. Research teams at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the University of Colorado will determine whether stem cells grow faster in space. The results may support new cell-based therapies for conditions such as heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders.
- Researchers at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine will study how engineered liver tissue with blood vessels develops in microgravity. This work, building on NASA’s vascular tissue challenge, may help advance regenerative treatments for patients on Earth. The findings could support the production of human tissues in space for organ transplants.
- Isabelle Chuang and Julia Gross, high school students from New York and winners of the 2024 Genes in Space competition, plan to use phages – viruses that target bacteria – to treat microbial infections during space missions. Genes in Space, founded by Boeing and miniPCR bio with support from the ISS National Lab, encourages students in grades 7-12 to design DNA research that uses the space station’s conditions.
- The ISS National Lab and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) collaborate on research in low Earth orbit (LEO). Multiple NSF-funded projects are scheduled to launch sooner. Among them, a University of California, Berkeley study will examine how small particles move within a liquid droplet and stick to its surface. Insights from this research may support development of new materials and improve methods for removing environmental pollutants.
- Axiom Space, in partnership with Red Hat and the ISS National Lab, is working to expand data storage and edge processing in orbit with the Red Hat Device Edge platform. The project aims to enable real-time data analysis to support ongoing experiments in space. These improvements are expected to help scale R&D, and manufacturing efforts on future space platforms.
This mission is the 11th SpaceX crew rotation to the orbiting laboratory as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Source: ISS National Laboratory
About International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory
The International Space Station is an orbiting laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. Operated as a public service, the ISS National Laboratory allows U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and private-sector organizations to access its microgravity environment, Earth observation capabilities, and space-based conditions to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives. The lab promotes research aimed at improving life on Earth, supporting the growth of commercial space activity, and advancing STEM education. Established in 2005, the ISS National Laboratory has been managed by the nonprofit Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), since 2011 under a cooperative agreement with NASA. Headquartered in Rockledge, FL, the lab has supported more than 700 research payloads. In fiscal year 2024, it sponsored over 100 experiments, nearly 80% from commercial users. That year, funding commitments totaled nearly $25M, with STEM outreach and over 50 publications.