Next ISS Crew Launch on SpaceX Crew Dragon Scheduled for August
Summary: SpaceX and NASA announced on July 25 that the next Crew Dragon mission to the ISS is targeting an August 2026 launch, carrying a four-person crew for Expedition 74.
According to SpaceNews, SpaceX and NASA jointly announced on July 25, 2026 that the next Crew Dragon crewed flight to the International Space Station is targeted for launch in August 2026. The mission will carry a crew of four astronauts to the ISS, replacing the current Expedition 73 crew and officially beginning the Expedition 74 increment.
The mission is part of SpaceX's ongoing partnership with NASA under the Commercial Crew Program. Since its first crewed flight in 2020, Crew Dragon has become one of the primary crew transport vehicles for ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS. The exact launch date, mission designation, and the full crew manifest for the four crew members have not yet been formally disclosed, with NASA expected to confirm these details through official channels several weeks before launch.
During the Expedition 74 increment, the astronauts are expected to conduct a range of scientific experiments and support the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the space station. The duration of their stay and the cadence of subsequent crew rotations will depend on the docking and handover schedule of the next Crew Dragon or Soyuz spacecraft. Further details on the precise launch window and mission timeline are pending official announcements.