jsc2024e050130 (June 23, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Commander Zena Cardman is pictured smiling in her flight suit during training at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2024e050127 (June 23, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Commander Zena Cardman trains inside a Dragon mockup crew vehicle at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2024e050129 (June 23, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Commander Zena Cardman is pictured inside a Dragon mockup crew vehicle at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2024e050131 (June 23, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Commander Zena Cardman poses for a photo in her flight suit at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2024e050128 (June 23, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Commander Zena Cardman focuses on her training inside a Dragon mockup crew vehicle at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2024e050142 (May 13, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Commander Zena Cardman checks out a grid fin on a Falcon 9 first-stage booster at SpaceX’s HangarX facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2024e050148 (May 13, 2024) --- From left, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Commander Zena Cardman and Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson look off into the distance from the launch tower at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2024e050147 (May 13, 2024) --- SpaceX Crew-9 Commander Zena Cardman from NASA and Mission Specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov from Roscosmos are all smiles from the launch tower at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2024e022261_alt2 (March 22, 2024) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman poses for a portrait in a photography studio at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel

jsc2024e022261_alt (March 22, 2024) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman poses for a portrait in a photography studio at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel

jsc2025e032534 (March 18, 2025) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman conducts training for the unlikely event of an emergency at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Credit: NASA/David DeHoyos

jsc2024e074784 (Nov. 13, 2024) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman conducts training for the unlikely event of an emergency at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel

jsc2023e067699_alt (Oct. 27, 2023) --- NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-11 Commander Zena Cardman poses for a portrait at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Texas.

jsc2023e067715_alt (Oct. 27, 2023) --- NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-11 Commander Zena Cardman poses for a portrait at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Texas.

jsc2024e052331 (June 23, 2024) --- SpaceX Crew-9 Commander Zena Cardman of NASA's Commercial Crew Program poses for a portrait in her flight suit at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2024e010943 (Jan. 26, 2024) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman conducts cold transfer skills training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel

jsc2025e064526 (June 23, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 commander and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman participates in a training session at SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California. Her name, “Z. Cardman” is prominently shown with the American flag. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2025e064528 (June 23, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 commander and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman poses for a photo during a training session at SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California. Credit SpaceX

jsc2025e064527 (June 23, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 commander and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman poses for a photo during a training session at SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California. Credit SpaceX

jsc2025e064523 (June 23, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 commander and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman is pictured training inside a mockup of a Dragon cockpit at SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2025e064523 (June 23, 2025) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 commander and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman is pictured training inside a mockup of a Dragon cockpit at SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2025e064525 (June 23, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 commander and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman poses for a photo during a training session at SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California. Credit SpaceX

jsc2024e052323 (July 22, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Commander Zena Cardman smiles as she gets better acquainted with the Dragon spacecraft, which will take them to the International Space Station no earlier than mid-August. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2025e041086 (April 9, 2025) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station trains inside a Dragon training crew spacecraft at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California.

jsc2025e041085 (April 9, 2025) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station trains inside a Dragon training crew spacecraft at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California.

jsc2025e041103 (April 11, 2025) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station, participates in a training session Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

jsc2025e060299 (May 19, 2025) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station, poses for a portrait in his pressure suit at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2025e034088 (Dec. 4, 2024) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission, trains for her mission at a SpaceX facility in Hawthorne, California, ahead of her flight to the International Space Station.

jsc2025e041095 (April 11, 2025) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station, participates in a training session at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

iss073e0872076 (Oct. 10, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman inspects a spacesuit helmet during maintenance activities inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

jsc2025e034083 (Dec. 4, 2024) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission, trains inside a SpaceX Dragon mockup at a SpaceX facility in Hawthorne, California, ahead of her flight to the International Space Station.

jsc2025e034082 (Dec. 4, 2024) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission, trains inside a SpaceX Dragon mockup at a SpaceX facility in Hawthorne, California, ahead of her flight to the International Space Station.

jsc2024e052324 (July 22, 2024) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Commander Zena Cardman and Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson are pictured in their flight suits at SpaceX’s new Dragon refurbishing facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2025e006003 (Feb. 3, 2025) --- NASA astronaut Zena Cardman (left), and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui (right) conduct training scenarios with their instructors at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for their upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/Helen Arase Vargas

jsc2025e041107 (April 11, 2025) --- NASA astronauts Mike Fincke (left) and Zena Cardman (right), the pilot and commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station, are pictured during a training session at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

jsc2025e034100 (March 27, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and commander for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission Zena Cardman is photographed during an interview in a studio at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, before her upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford

iss073e1162979 (Nov. 24, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman poses for a playful portrait before closing the hatch to Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo craft attached to the International Space Station's Unity module.

iss073e0422197 (Aug. 3, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman transfers emergency hardware from the International Space Station into the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft as part of standard operations.

iss073e0658307 (Sept. 10, 2025) --- Expedition 73 Flight Engineers Zena Cardman and Jonny Kim, both NASA astronauts, smile for a portrait during a break in thier research duties duties aboard the International Space Station.

iss073e0917417 (Oct. 21, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman performs communications maintenance swapping radios and checking their peformance on a pair of spacesuits inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

iss073e0982912 (Oct. 28, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman works inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module. Cardman was repairing a computer hard drive inside the Multi-use Variable-g Platform-02—a research device that can generate artificial gravity to study how microbes, plants, cells, protein crystals, and more might grow in different gravity environments including the Moon and Mars.

iss073e0505687 (Aug. 4, 2025) --- NASA astronauts Jonny Kim and Zena Cardman, both Expedition 73 Flight Engineers, pose for a portrait inside the International Space Station's Unity module during a break in weekend housecleaning and maintenance activities. Kim and Cardman are both part of NASA Astronaut Group 22 selected in June 2017 with 12 other astronauts, including two Canadian Space Agency astronauts, and affectionately nicknamed "The Turtles."

iss073e0505793 (Aug. 9, 2025) --- NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Jonny Kim, both Expedition 73 Flight Engineers, are pictured inside the International Space Station's Unity module during weekend housecleaning and maintenance activities. Kim and Cardman are both part of NASA Astronaut Group 22 selected in June 2017 with 12 other astronauts, including two Canadian Space Agency astronauts, and affectionately nicknamed "The Turtles."

iss073e0605876 (Sept. 4, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman processes bone stem cell samples inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox aboard the International Space Station. Cardman was helping researchers explore how microgravity affects bone tissue to safeguard a crew member’s skeletal system and possibly treat aging conditions and bone diseases on Earth.

iss073e1198126 (Nov. 28, 2025) --- Expedition 73 Flight Engineers Chris Williams and Zena Cardman, both NASA astronauts, seen here with the ISS Ham Radio during a school contact inside the International Space Station's Columbus laboratory module. Cardman was helping new NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams familiarize himself with station hardware, operations, and systems during his second day aboard the orbital outpost.

iss073e0814460 (Sept. 18, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman is pictured inside the International Space Station’s Unity module unpacking new hardware just hours after the arrival of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo craft.

iss073e0505497 (Aug. 2, 2025) --- NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 Commander Zena Cardman is welcomed aboard the International Space Station by Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers of NASA after the Dragon crew spaceraft docked to the Harmony module's space-facing port.

iss073e0545167 (Aug. 25, 2025) --- Expedition 73 Flight Engineers Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Zena Cardman of NASA unpack some of the science, supplies, and hardware delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft and begin installing the new gear inside the International Space Station.

iss073e0545175 (Aug. 25, 2025) --- Expedition 73 Flight Engineers Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Zena Cardman of NASA unpack some of the science, supplies, and hardware delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft and begin installing the new gear inside the International Space Station.

iss073e0813519 (Sept. 26, 2025) --- NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, both Expedtion 73 Flight Engineers, pose for a portrait inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module during science hardware maintenance in Kibo's airlock.

iss073e0768346 (Sept. 25, 2025) --- Expedition 73 Flight Engineers Zena Cardman of NASA and Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) partner together inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module removing a small satellite orbital deployer from inside Kibo's airlock

iss073e0814456 (Sept. 18, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman is pictured inside the International Space Station’s Unity module opening the hatch to Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo craft. Cygnus had arrived at the orbital outpost just a few hours earlier, where it was captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm and installed on Unity’s Earth-facing port.

iss073e0981639 (Sept. 11, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman practices Canadarm2 robotic maneuvers at the robotics workstation inside the International Space Station's cupola. Kim was preparing for the robotic capture of the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft that launched on Sept. 14, 2025, and arrived on Sept. 18 delivering about 11,000 pounds of science, supplies, and hardware to the Expedition 73 crew.

iss073e0505925 (Aug. 15, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman operates the robotics workstation in the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory module during a computerized test tracking space-related effects on her brain function. Part of the CIPHER suite of 14 human research investigations, the cognition study could lead to advanced tools like brain scans and task simulations for future long-duration missions.

iss073e0511718 (Aug. 20, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman speaks on a ham radio with the NixderStelar youth organization from Lima, Peru. The youngsters asked about using artificial intelligence on the International Space Station, how research in space benefits humans on Earth, and how living in weightlessness affects their bodies. Astronauts frequently speak to students, professionals, and government officials using the ham radio aboard the orbital outpost's Destiny laboratory module.

iss073e0548967 (Aug. 29, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman works inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock and performs pressure and leak checks on spacesuit jetpack components. The jetpacks are attached to the rear of spacesuits and are a safety mechanism a spacewalker would use to maneuver back to the orbital outpost in the unlikely event they became untethered from their worksite.

iss073e0545092 (Aug. 26, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman works inside a portable glovebag aboard the International Space Station's Harmony module. Cardman was installing experiment modules containing liver tissue into an artificial gravity generator for a biotechnology investigation exploring how bioprinted, or engineered, liver tissues containing blood vessels behave in microgravity. Results may improve long term health for astronauts and improve quality of life for patients on Earth.

iss073e0546278 (Aug. 26, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman works inside a portable glovebag aboard the International Space Station's Harmony module. Cardman was installing experiment modules containing liver tissue into an artificial gravity generator for a biotechnology investigation exploring how bioprinted, or engineered, liver tissues containing blood vessels behave in microgravity. Results may improve long term health for astronauts and improve quality of life for patients on Earth.

iss073e0702302 (Sept. 16, 2025) --- NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Jonny Kim, both Expedition 73 flight engineers, practice Canadarm2 robotic arm maneuvers on the Destiny laboratory module's robotics workstation. Kim commanded the Canadarm2 two days later to capture Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo craft with Cardman backing him up as the spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut candidate Zena Cardman greets a visitor at the LEGO exhibit at the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary celebration on the National Mall, Friday, July 19, 2019 in Washington. Apollo 11 was the first mission to land astronauts on the Moon and launched on July 16, 1969 with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman answers questions from the media during a press conference ahead of the launch of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Perseverance rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. Launch is scheduled for Thursday, July 30. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman speaks with a member of the media following a press conference ahead of the launch of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Perseverance rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. Launch is scheduled for Thursday, July 30. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA astronaut candidate Zena Cardman answers a question during a live episode of the Administrator's monthly chat show, Watch This Space, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 in the Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA's newest astronaut candidate class has started their two years of training, after which the new astronaut candidates could be assigned to missions performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and launching on deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

iss073e0814466 (Sept. 18, 2025) --- NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Jonny Kim, both Expedition 73 flight engineers, pose for a fun portrait inside the International Space Station’s Unity module shortly after the arrival of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo craft. The duo had just begun unpacking several tons of new science experiments, supplies, and hardware.

iss073e0981653 (Sept. 11, 2025) --- Expedition 73 Flight Engineers Jonny Kim and Zena Cardman, both NASA astronauts, practice Canadarm2 robotic maneuvers at the robotics workstation inside the International Space Station's cupola. The duo was preparing for the robotic capture of the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft that launched on Sept. 14, 2025, and arrived on Sept. 18 delivering about 11,000 pounds of science, supplies, and hardware to the Expedition 73 crew.

iss073e0982919 (Oct. 28, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman performs maintenance on the Multi-use Variable-g Platform-02 (MVP-02) inside the International Space Station's Harmony module. The MVP-02 is a research device that can produce artificial gravity to study and predict how the Moon or Mars environments may affect biological and physical systems.

iss073e0548846 (Aug. 28, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman processes bone cell samples inside the Kibo laboratory module's Life Science Glovebox. She was exploring the molecular mechanisms of space-induced bone loss for an investigation that could help the human skeletal system adapt to spaceflight and lead to advanced treatments for aging conditions and bone diseases on Earth.

iss073e0606876 (Sept. 5, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman treats bioprinted liver tissues in a portable glovebag inside the International Space Station's Harmony module. The samples will be placed inside an artificial gravity-generating research device to help researchers understand how microgravity affects the formation of blood vessels in engineered tissues. Result may lead to advanced treatments protecting astronauts on long-duration spaceflights and improve bioprinting techniques for patient therapies on Earth.

iss073e0606879 (Sept. 5, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman treats bioprinted liver tissues in a portable glovebag inside the International Space Station's Harmony module. The samples will be placed inside an artificial gravity-generating research device to help researchers understand how microgravity affects the formation of blood vessels in engineered tissues. Result may lead to advanced treatments protecting astronauts on long-duration spaceflights and improve bioprinting techniques for patient therapies on Earth.

NASA astronaut candidate Zena Cardman is reflected in the glass as she talks with Apollo 11 astronaut Mike Collins during “NASA’s Giant Leaps: Past and Future," a live television program on Friday, July 19, 2019 from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA and the world are recognizing the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, in which astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin crewed the first mission to land astronauts on the Moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, left, and NASA astronaut candidate, Zena Cardman, pose for a photo with the soon to be 20 ft. model of the Space Launch System (SLS) made out of LEGOs, at the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary celebration on the National Mall, Friday, July 19, 2019 in Washington. Apollo 11 was the first mission to land astronauts on the Moon and launched on July 16, 1969 with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

iss073e0886460 (Oct. 20, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman installs research hardware inside the Destiny laboratory module’s Microgravity Science Glovebox. The equipment supports the Fluid Particles experiment, which helps researchers understand how particles in a liquid interface come together to form larger structures or clusters in microgravity. Results could advance fire suppression, lunar dust control, and plant growth in space. Earth benefits may include insights into pollen behavior, algae blooms, plastic pollution, and sea salt transfer during storms.

NASA Public Affairs Officer for Heliophysics Karen Fox, left, interviews, Apollo 11 astronaut Mike Collins, and NASA astronaut candidate Zena Cardman during “NASA’s Giant Leaps: Past and Future," a live television program on Friday, July 19, 2019 from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA and the world are recognizing the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, in which astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin crewed the first mission to land astronauts on the Moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Public Affairs Officer for Heliophysics Karen Fox, left, interviews, Apollo 11 astronaut Mike Collins, and NASA astronaut candidate Zena Cardman during “NASA’s Giant Leaps: Past and Future," a live television program on Friday, July 19, 2019 from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA and the world are recognizing the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, in which astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin crewed the first mission to land astronauts on the Moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Public Affairs Officer for Heliophysics Karen Fox, left, interviews, Apollo 11 astronaut Mike Collins, and NASA astronaut candidate Zena Cardman during “NASA’s Giant Leaps: Past and Future," a live television program on Friday, July 19, 2019 from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA and the world are recognizing the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, in which astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin crewed the first mission to land astronauts on the Moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Public Affairs Officer for Heliophysics Karen Fox, left, interviews, Apollo 11 astronaut Mike Collins, and NASA astronaut candidate Zena Cardman during “NASA’s Giant Leaps: Past and Future," a live television program on Friday, July 19, 2019 from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA and the world are recognizing the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, in which astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin crewed the first mission to land astronauts on the Moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Public Affairs Officer for Heliophysics Karen Fox, left, interviews, Apollo 11 astronaut Mike Collins, and NASA astronaut candidate Zena Cardman during “NASA’s Giant Leaps: Past and Future," a live television program on Friday, July 19, 2019 from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA and the world are recognizing the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, in which astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin crewed the first mission to land astronauts on the Moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Public Affairs Officer for Heliophysics Karen Fox, left, interviews, Apollo 11 astronaut Mike Collins, and NASA astronaut candidate Zena Cardman during “NASA’s Giant Leaps: Past and Future," a live television program on Friday, July 19, 2019 from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA and the world are recognizing the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, in which astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin crewed the first mission to land astronauts on the Moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

From front left NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, walk out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, July 31, 2025, during the first attempt of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station. From top left, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, are scheduled to lift off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket for its second attempt at 11:43 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy.

jsc2017e116316 (Sept. 15, 2017) --- 2017 NASA Astronaut Candidate Zena Cardman.

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman conducts leak checks for her SpaceX spacesuit inside the crew suit-up room in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the second launch attempt of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. Cardman and fellow NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, are scheduled to lift off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket at 11:43 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy.

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman waves inside a customized electric vehicle to family and friend’s moments before she is taken to Launch Pad 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, during the second launch attempt of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station. Cardman and fellow NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, are scheduled to lift off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket at 11:43 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy.

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman conducts leak checks for her SpaceX spacesuit inside the crew suit-up room in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the second launch attempt of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. Cardman and fellow NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, are scheduled to lift off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket at 11:43 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy.

jsc2025e034094 (Sept. 25, 2024) --- From left to right, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui pose for a photo at a SpaceX facility in Hawthorne, California.

jsc2025e064544 (July 3, 2025) --- The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission train for their upcoming trip to the International Space Station at SpaceX facilities in Florida. From left: Oleg Platonov, Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Kimiya Yui. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2025e064550 (July 3, 2025) --- The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission train for their upcoming trip to the International Space Station at SpaceX facilities in Florida. From left: Oleg Platonov, Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Kimiya Yui. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2025e064545 (July 3, 2025) --- The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission train for their upcoming trip to the International Space Station at SpaceX facilities in Florida. NASA astronauts Mike Fincke (left) and Zena Cardman are the pilot and commander of the mission. Credit: SpaceX

jsc2025e064551 (July 3, 2025) --- The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission train for their upcoming trip to the International Space Station at SpaceX facilities in Florida. From left: Oleg Platonov, Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Kimiya Yui. Credit: SpaceX

A full-size model of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is seen during a press conference with Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Janet Petro, left, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, second from left, NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Morhard, second from right, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, right, ahead of the launch of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Perseverance rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. Launch is scheduled for Thursday, July 30. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Janet Petro, left, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, second from left, NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Morhard, second from right, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, right, are seen during a press conference ahead of the launch of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Perseverance rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. Launch is scheduled for Thursday, July 30. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's 2017 astronaut candidates (L to R) Zena Cardman, Loral O'Hara, Frank Rubio, Jonny Kim, Raja Chari practice flying in an X-59 QueSST simulator at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California. The low boom flight demonstrator, X-59, being built at Lockheed Martin and was designed to fly at supersonic speeds over land without the loud noise of breaking the sound barrier and disturbing communities.

A long exposure image captures the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a Dragon spacecraft at 11:43 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Crew-11, carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, are on their way to the International Space Station for a long duration mission.

A long exposure image captures the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a Dragon spacecraft at 11:43 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Crew-11, carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, are on their way to the International Space Station for a long duration mission.

jsc2024e022259_alt NASA astronaut Zena Cardman at the NASA Johnson Space Center photo studio on March 22, 2024. Photographer: Josh Valcarcel – Johnson Space Center

jsc2025e041955 (Feb. 26, 2025) --- The official crew portrait of NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members. Front row, from left, are Pilot Mike Fincke and Commander Zena Cardman, both NASA astronauts. In the back from left, are Mission Specialists Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos and Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exporation Agency).

jsc2025e041105 (April 11, 2025) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 crew poses for a group picture during a training session at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left to right: Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui.

jsc2025e005962 (Feb. 3, 2025) --- From left to right: NASA astronauts Jonny Kim, Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui train together as an Expedition 73 crew at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for their upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/Helen Arase Vargas

jsc2025e041106 (April 11, 2025) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 crew poses for a group picture during a training session at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left to right: Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui.

jsc2025e041101 (April 11, 2025) --- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 crew participates in a training session at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left to right: JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.

jsc2025e006033 (Feb. 3, 2025) --- From left to right: JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and NASA astronauts Jonny Kim (seated), Zena Cardman, and Mike Fincke conduct training scenarios with their instructors at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for their upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/Helen Arase Vargas