SpaceX delivered four astronauts to the International Space Station on Saturday, August 2, just 15 hours after launch — one of NASA’s fastest crewed flights yet.
Launched from Kennedy Space Center, the crew includes NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. They’ll spend six months aboard the ISS, replacing a team that’s been in orbit since March. The outgoing crew is expected to return to Earth as early as August 6 aboard the same SpaceX capsule.
“Hello, space station!” Fincke radioed moments after docking over the South Pacific.
Cardman had been bumped from a previous SpaceX flight to make room for Boeing Starliner’s delayed test crew. Fincke and Yui, originally prepping for a Starliner mission, also switched to SpaceX after technical issues grounded the program until 2026. Platonov, sidelined earlier due to illness, finally makes his trip to space.
The new arrivals temporarily raise the station’s population to 11. Hot food and cold drinks were waiting for them.
Despite the quick trip, Russia still holds the record for the fastest ISS arrival — a blistering three hours.