SpaceX Fram2 Mission Successfully Launches, Will Become First Crewed Spaceflight Over Earth’s Poles

The SpaceX Fram2 mission is a historic private astronaut flight that lifted off at 9:46 PM EDT from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This mission marks the first time humans have embarked on a crewed spaceflight over Earth’s poles, flying in a polar orbit at an altitude of approximately 425-450 kilometers (249-264 miles).

The Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the Crew Dragon spacecraft “Resilience” carrying four private astronauts: mission commander Chun Wang from Malta, vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen from Norway, pilot Rabea Rogge from Germany, and medical officer/mission specialist Eric Phillips from Australia. Assuming a nominal launch and orbital insertion, they are likely well into their mission, circling Earth in a 90-degree inclination polar orbit.

This 90-degree polar orbit trajectory will take the crew directly over the North and South Poles. The mission itself is expected to last between 3 to 5 days, during which the astronauts will conduct 22 science experiments, including growing mushrooms in space, and even taking the first human X-rays in orbit.