The stars have aligned for a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumnus, as Zena Cardman has been selected to command the upcoming SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station. In a move announced by NASA, the former Tar Heel, who holds a Bachelor's of Science in biology and a Master's in marine sciences from UNC, is slated to lead her team into the cosmos somewhere between late July and early August this year.
Cardman, who was initially assigned to the Crew-9 mission, found herself reassigned to Crew-11 due to an undisclosed issue with the Boeing Starliner rocket. The two members of the prior mission, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were left stranded in space as a result, as reported by WRAL. These unforeseen circumstances paved the way for Cardman's leadership on the latest planned expedition to the ISS.
Joining Cardman on the voyage aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft will be a crew composed of NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Their journey will be powered by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, lifting off from Florida on July 31, as confirmed by ABC11. Their mission on the ISS will be classified as part of science Expeditions 73/74, with an expected return to our terrestrial home in 2026.
Amidst a field of over 18,000 applicants, Cardman's selection in 2017 to join NASA's ranks was already a significant achievement. Since then, she has sharpened her skills in station operations and planning for lunar surface exploration. Her research background, which includes probing the intricacies of geobiology and geochemical cycling in extreme environments, is expected to lend a unique perspective to the Crew-11's scientific endeavors, as highlighted by CBS17.
Zena Cardman, a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, will lead the Crew-11 mission with her experience and training. As she prepares for the journey, the mission aims to support ongoing research and exploration in space.
