Williamsburg grad Zena Cardman commands NASA Crew-11 mission to ISS

Williamsburg area native and Bruton High School graduate Zena Cardman has been announced as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station. Cardman, 37, will embark on her first space flight with a crew of four from three nations in July for an approximate eight-month assignment. The mission will involve scientific research and technology demonstrations, including Cardman conducting experiments on human physiology in space. Cardman was a backup for a previous mission and has spent years training since being selected as an astronaut candidate in 2017. Her former high school biology teacher at Bruton High School recalls her early ambition to become an astrobiologist.