SpaceX to make history, launch 1st-ever human mission to Earth’s poles by year-end

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has announced a maiden crewed mission to explore the uncharted territories of our planet: the polar regions.

While past crewed missions have orbited Earth at middle latitudes, Fram2 will break new ground by flying directly over the North and South Poles.

SpaceX’s Fram2 mission will carry a crew of four people aboard a Dragon spacecraft.

“Falcon 9 will launch Dragon’s sixth commercial astronaut mission, Fram2, which will be the first human spaceflight mission to explore Earth from a polar orbit and fly over the Earth’s polar regions for the first time,” SpaceX announced in the statement released on August 12.

The name Fram2 pays homage to the Norwegian ship that made history by reaching both the Arctic and Antarctic between 1893 and 1912.

The first crew is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida later this year.

Five-day mission

The 3-to-5-day mission will use Dragon’s transparent cupola to observe the polar regions from 425 – 450 km above Earth.

Fram2 crew includes Chun Wang, Jannicke Mikkelsen, Eric Philips, and Rabea Rogge. Wang, a Bitcoin entrepreneur from Malta, will command this mission.

“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 and through the mission’s research,” SpaceX mission description revealed.

Wang is joined by Norwegian cinematographer Mikkelsen, Australian adventurer Philips, and German robotics researcher Rogge. According to SpaceX, the entire crew is first-time space travelers.

As per CBS, no human has ever witnessed Earth from a polar orbit—one directly over the North and South Poles. Unlike crewed spacecraft, satellites designed for espionage, weather monitoring, and commercial imaging prefer these orbits as they allow complete global coverage.

Scientific studies

In this shot span, Fram2 will capture breathtaking images of the Aurora Borealis and Australis.

Beyond exploration, Fram2 is a scientific odyssey. The crew will research unusual, aurora-like luminous phenomena called STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement). They will delve into this mysterious phenomenon to understand STEVE’s green fragments and mauve ribbons that dance in the upper atmosphere (400 – 500 km above).

The crew will conduct important research on the human body in space, including capturing the first-ever X-ray image of a human in orbit. This knowledge will be crucial for future long-duration space missions. Moreover, the mission will focus on understanding the behavioral health implications of spaceflight.

SpaceX is also targeting to launch Polaris Dawn most likely on August 26. Through this mission, SpaceX aims to conduct the first commercial spacewalk at an altitude of roughly 700 kilometers.

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman is funding and commanding the Polaris Program, a series of three private space missions. Polaris Dawn is the inaugural flight.

SpaceX has previously launched five private astronaut missions: Inspiration4, a free flyer; Axiom Space’s Ax-1, Ax-2, and Ax-3 to the ISS; and the upcoming Polaris Dawn. Fram2 will be the sixth.

“In the past four years, SpaceX has launched thirteen human spaceflight missions, safely flying 50 crewmembers to and from Earth’s orbit and creating new opportunities for humanity to live, work, and explore what is possible in space,” the SpaceX statement noted.