SpaceX to launch private astronauts on first crewed polar orbit
The Hindu
SpaceX launches first polar human spaceflight, Fram2, with four astronauts on privately funded orbital mission.
SpaceX is set to launch the first human spaceflight directly over Earth’s polar regions on Monday (March 31, 2025) — a days-long, privately funded orbital mission involving four astronauts.
Named “Fram2” after the famed Norwegian ship built in the 19th century for Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, the mission will feature a range of experiments including taking the first X-ray in space and growing mushrooms in microgravity.
It’s hoped that the research will support future long-duration space travel to Mars.
The crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket in a window that opens at 9:46 pm (0146 GMT) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“With the same pioneering spirit as early polar explorers, we aim to bring back new data and knowledge to advance the long-term goals of space exploration,” said Chun Wang, mission commander.
Wang, a Maltese adventurer and co-founder of crypto companies f2pool and skatefish, selected the rest of the crew: vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, a Norwegian film director; mission pilot Rabea Rogge, a robotics researcher from Germany; and mission specialist and medical officer Eric Philps, an Australian polar explorer.
The team trained for eight months in preparation for the approximately four-day trip, including a wilderness expedition in Alaska to simulate living in close quarters under harsh conditions.
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