Spacecraft Crew Dragon blasts off, carrying a Roscosmos cosmonaut en route to the International Space Station.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon, a reusable spacecraft, blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 1, 2025. The mission, marked by the launch, is set to reach the International Space Station (ISS) after a 15-hour journey.
The spacecraft, carrying a crew of four astronauts, is expected to dock with the ISS at approximately 3 a.m. Eastern Time (0700 UTC) on Saturday, August 2, 2025. The docking will occur autonomously at the space-facing port of the Harmony module.
The astronauts on board include Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platov, American astronaut Michael Fincke, American astronaut Zen Cardman, and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui. The launch was reported by Interfax, citing NASA.
The launch was not affected by a previous meeting between Roscosmos head, Dmitry Rogozin, the US Secretary of Transportation, and the acting head of NASA, Sean O'Keefe. Despite the meeting, the launch, which was originally scheduled for July 31, was postponed due to bad weather just a minute before liftoff.
Upon docking, the hatch opening and crew welcoming are scheduled a bit later, around 4:45 a.m. ET. The expected docking time in Moscow is set for August 2 at 10:10 - 10:15 Moscow time.
The Crew Dragon launch marks a significant step in commercial space travel, further cementing SpaceX's role as a key player in the industry. The successful mission will pave the way for future manned missions to the ISS and potentially, beyond.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon mission, a notable event in the realm of space-and-astronomy, marks a significant advancement in general-news, particularly commercial space travel, with SpaceX securing its position as a key player in this industry. This cutting-edge technology-driven spacecraft, set to reach the International Space Station (ISS) after a 15-hour journey following its August 1, 2025, liftoff, will dock autonomously at the space-facing port of the Harmony module, carrying a crew of four astronauts from around the world, including Oleg Platov, Michael Fincke, Zen Cardman, and Kimiya Yui.
