Crew of ISS mission with cosmonaut Platonov arrives at Florida spaceport

SpaceX mission to ISS scheduled for launch on July 31

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov has arrived at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke, as well as Japan's Kimiya Yui, are preparing for the launch with him.

The Crew-11 mission on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft is scheduled for launch on July 31. The crew will head to the International Space Station on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle.

Platonov thanked NASA, SpaceX, and Roscosmos for the opportunity to fly. He noted that the team has a great atmosphere and expressed hope for a quick start. His statement was broadcast on the NASA website.

The cross-flight program between Roscosmos and NASA continues to operate. Russian cosmonauts participate in American missions, and NASA astronauts fly on Russian Soyuz spacecraft. In January, the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center announced the extension of the program until the end of 2026.

Oleg Platonov will replace Kirill Peskov in orbit, who has been working on board the ISS since March.

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