NASA will host a public event on June 1 featuring three astronauts from the SpaceX Crew-11 mission, who will discuss their recent 167-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
What happened
The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. EDT in the Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Crew-11 astronauts participating include NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui. During their nearly six-month mission as part of ISS Expeditions 73 and 74, the crew conducted numerous scientific experiments, maintenance tasks, and technology demonstrations aimed at benefiting life on Earth and advancing human space exploration.
The mission launched on August 1, 2025, from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A, with the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docking at the space station on August 2. Alongside their Russian crewmate Oleg Platonov, they traveled approximately 71 million miles and completed over 2,670 orbits around the Earth before returning via splashdown off San Diego on January 15.
This mission marked Mike Fincke’s fourth spaceflight, Kimiya Yui’s second, and the first for both Zena Cardman and Oleg Platonov. Fincke has accumulated 549 days in space, placing him fourth among NASA astronauts for total time spent in orbit. During the mission, the crew also celebrated 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the ISS on November 2, 2025.
The public event is part of NASA’s Frontiers Forum speaker series that highlights key priorities in space exploration, including the Artemis program and commercial partnerships. Media interested in attending must RSVP by 8 a.m. on June 1 via NASA’s newsroom contact.
Why it matters
This event offers a rare opportunity for the public to engage directly with astronauts who have recently returned from space, providing firsthand insights into current scientific research and operational challenges aboard the ISS. The Crew-11 mission’s experiments and technology demonstrations contribute to advancing knowledge necessary for future missions, including Artemis lunar exploration and eventual human journeys to Mars.
Background
The SpaceX Crew-11 mission is part of NASA’s ongoing partnership with commercial providers to operate crew rotations to the ISS. Since 2000, the ISS has maintained a continuous human presence in orbit. NASA leverages these missions to test technologies, conduct experiments in microgravity, and prepare for deeper space exploration. The Frontiers Forum series aims to connect senior leaders and experts to share developments shaping the future of spaceflight.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following source:
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