SpaceX to launch first human spaceflight over Earth’s polar regions

By Trevor Mogg Published August 13, 2024

The four astronauts heading to orbit on SpaceX's Fram2 mission. — SpaceX

A private space mission operated by SpaceX will become the first crewed voyage designed specifically to explore Earth’s polar regions.

The mission — called Fram2 after the ship that helped explorers first reach Earth’s Arctic and Antarctic regions just over 100 years ago — could launch as early as this year and will be commanded by Chun Wang, an entrepreneur and adventurer from Malta, SpaceX announced on Monday.

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Traveling alongside Wang on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will be Norway’s Jannicke Mikkelsen, Australia’s Eric Philips, and Germany’s Rabea Rogge. All four crew members will be traveling to orbit for the first time.

“Wang aims to use the mission to highlight the crew’s explorational spirit, bring a sense of wonder and curiosity to the larger public, and highlight how technology can help push the boundaries of exploration of Earth …,” SpaceX said.

The historic space voyage will last between three and five days, with the crew observing Earth’s polar regions from an altitude of up to 280 miles (450 kilometers), which is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) higher than the International Space Station (ISS).

The crew will also study unusual, aurora-like light emissions, described by SpaceX as green fragments and mauve ribbons of continuous emissions comparable to the phenomenon known as STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), which has been measured at an altitude of around 249 miles to 311 miles (400 to 500 kilometers).

Additionally, the crew will work with SpaceX on research to better understand the effects of spaceflight on the human body, part of which will involve capturing the first human X-ray images in space. Such research will help in the development of tools for long-duration crewed missions to deep space.

The Fram2 mission will be the sixth by SpaceX to involve a crew of civilians, with Monday’s announcement coming three years after the first mission, Inspiration4, which also involved four crew members spending several days orbiting Earth.

Like Inspiration4, the Fram2’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will have a glass dome in place of the docking mechanism that’s used on Crew Dragons bound for the ISS. The dome will offer panoramic views of Earth — including the polar regions — and beyond into space.

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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