A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has launched a one-of-a-kind mission that’s making spaceflight history. Known as Fram2, this groundbreaking commercial flight is sending four international astronauts into a polar orbit around Earth—a path no human crew has ever flown before. According to SpaceX’s official mission overview, the launch represents a major milestone in private space exploration and orbital innovation.
The mission, funded and commanded by cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang, could open a new frontier in orbital exploration by circling the planet from pole to pole, rather than along the equatorial plane like most previous missions.
A Private Mission With a Pioneering Goal
Fram2 lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with lightning flashing in the distance, right on schedule at 9:46 p.m. EDT. The crew is now traveling aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which previously flew the Polaris Dawn crew on a historic spacewalk.
But this mission isn’t heading to the International Space Station. Instead, Fram2 will spend up to five days in low-Earth orbit, following a 90-degree trajectory that allows the Dragon capsule to pass directly over the North and South Poles—something no crewed mission has ever attempted.
The orbital path will allow the spacecraft to complete a full pole-to-pole loop in just over 46 minutes, giving the astronauts a unique view of Earth’s most remote regions, which are invisible from the ISS’s usual orbit.
Meet the Fram2 Crew
At the helm of this bold venture is Chun Wang, a Chinese-born, Malta-based entrepreneur who built his fortune in Bitcoin mining. He’s joined by:
- Jannicke Mikkelsen, a Norwegian filmmaker
- Rabea Rogge, a German robotics researcher
- Eric Philips, an Australian polar adventurer
None of the four crew members has ever flown to space before—making this not only a trailblazing orbital path, but also a journey of firsts for each astronaut on board.
Science Experiments in Orbit
While soaring above Earth’s poles, the Fram2 crew will conduct 22 scientific experiments focused on how spaceflight and microgravity affect the human body—key knowledge for preparing for long-term deep-space missions.
Among the mission’s standout goals:
- Capturing the first human X-ray images in space
- Growing mushrooms in orbit to test their potential as future space crops
- Studying blood flow restriction during exercise to help preserve bone and muscle mass during prolonged missions
These investigations could provide valuable insights for planning extended stays on the Moon, Mars, or other distant destinations.
A Mission With Tight Margins
Unlike space station missions, Fram2 is a standalone flight, meaning the crew is entirely reliant on the oxygen and supplies onboard the Dragon spacecraft. There are no resupply options, no emergency docking ports—only a strict five-day timeline and a carefully planned return.
To ensure safety, SpaceX is taking extra precautions for the mission’s splashdown, which will take place off the coast of California. And when the Dragon capsule returns to Earth, the astronauts will attempt to exit the spacecraft unaided, testing whether future crews can self-recover after reentry—an important step for emergency preparedness.
