The Fram2 mission marks the first manned launch in history with a 90-degree inclination.
Chun Wang and his three companions are the first people to complete a polar-orbiting spaceflight.
The images captured during the Fram2 mission are truly remarkable. For the first time in history, humans are flying over the Earth from space in a polar orbit. Notably, this achievement isn’t funded by a space agency such as NASA or the European Space Agency. Instead, this is SpaceX’s private mission for a cryptocurrency billionaire.
First-ever polar spaceflight. On Monday night, the Fram2 mission lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket’s first stage successfully returned to Earth, landing on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, the second stage continued south to place the Crew Dragon spacecraft into polar orbit.
Fram2 marks the first-ever manned spaceflight at a 90-degree tilt. As such, its four crew members are the first people to fly over both the North and South Poles from space.
A Bitcoin billionaire. None of the crew members had ever been to space before. The mission’s commander and patron is Chun Wang, a Chinese billionaire of Maltese nationality. Wang made his fortune as the founder of F2Pool, one of the world’s largest Bitcoin mining platforms.
Norwegian cinematographer Jannicke Mikkelsen, robotics expert Rabea Rogge, and physician Eric Philips are accompanying him. Mikkelsen is the mission’s ship commander and is responsible for documenting the whole adventure. Rogee is the pilot, while Philips is a mission specialist with experience as a seasoned polar explorer.
22 experiments. The four crew members will collaborate with SpaceX and NASA on a series of in-flight experiments, including the first X-ray taken in space and a fungus culture grown in microgravity. They’ll also capture numerous images of the polar ice caps through the dome of the Crew Dragon spacecraft.
The most intriguing aspect of their return will likely be their ability to open the hatch. Crew members will be able to exit the spacecraft without assistance from SpaceX rescue teams. The space company will demonstrate this capability for the first time.
A new era. Wang has become the 722nd person to cross the Kármán line, which is recognized as the official boundary of space. He’ll soon be followed by celebrities such as singer Katy Perry and Lauren Sanchez, Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos’ fiancée.
Private spaceflight is here to stay. When enough financial resources are available, the distinction between space tourism and space exploration becomes increasingly blurred. The Fram2 mission is the first to fly in polar orbit. Meanwhile, the Polaris Dawn mission, funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, was the first private mission to include two individuals in extravehicular activity.
Image | SpaceX
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