NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Wraps Up Space Station Science
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission with agency astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov returned to Earth after a long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station.
During their stay, Cardman, Fincke and Yui devoted more than 850 hours of research to preparing humanity for return to the Moon and future missions to Mars, while improving life on Earth.
Here is an overview of the scientific work carried out during the Crew-11 mission:
NASA astronaut Zena Cardman is working with bone stem cells aboard the International Space Station to improve our understanding of how bone loss occurs during spaceflight. Studying bone cell activity in microgravity could help researchers learn how to control bone loss to protect astronauts’ bone density on future long-duration space missions and inform treatments for diseases like osteoporosis on Earth.
Learn more about MABL-B.
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui photographs Earth from the dome of the International Space Station. For more than 40 years, astronauts have used handheld cameras to capture millions of images documenting Earth’s geographic features, weather patterns, urban growth, surface changes, and the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods.
Astronauts also use the cupola and other windows aboard the space station to gaze at the cosmos without atmospheric interference from Earth. Just as observing Earth from 250 miles above provides a new perspective on our home planet, observing the stars from the orbiting laboratory provides a clearer view of our universe.
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke poses aboard the International Space Station with a new device designed to test the ability of an inflatable capture bag to open, close and remain airtight in microgravity. This technology could be used to remove space debris from orbit, protecting future spacecraft and crew members. This could also allow samples to be trapped during exploration missions and support the capture and mining of small asteroids.
Learn more about the Capture Bag demo.
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke wears a temperature monitoring headband that tracks how the human body regulates its core temperature during spaceflight. Adapting to life and work aboard the International Space Station may influence human temperature regulation. This headband provides a simple, non-invasive way to collect temperature data while astronauts go about their daily activities. The sensor is also being tested on Earth and could help prevent hyperthermia in people working in high-temperature environments.
Learn more about the T-Mini.
JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)’s new cargo resupply spacecraft, HTV-X1, is shown after being captured by the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm during the Crew-11 mission. The spacecraft launched from the Tanegashima Space Center on October 26, 2025, delivering approximately 12,800 pounds of science, supplies and equipment to the orbital complex. New cargo spacecraft expand the station’s ability to support more research and receive critical supplies.
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui holds bags of yogurt produced aboard the International Space Station that could provide important nutrients during missions far from Earth. Some nutrients degrade when stored for long periods of time, and a deficiency in even just one of them can lead to disease. Researchers are building on previous experiments to develop a method to produce vitamins and nutrients on demand in space using microorganisms.
Learn more about BioNutrients-3.
The Expedition 73 crew poses for a portrait to commemorate 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station. Front row, from left, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Zubritsky. In the back row, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui.
A truly global enterprise, the space station has been visited by more than 290 people from 26 countries, as well as various international and commercial spacecraft. Since the arrival of the first crew, NASA and its partners have conducted thousands of research and technology demonstrations to advance the exploration of the Moon and Mars and benefit life on Earth.
