SpaceX launches 4 people on rare polar orbit mission
SpaceX has launched a unique space mission called Fram2, sending four people into a polar orbit — flying over the North and South Poles — something never done before by a crewed spacecraft, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
The mission lifted off Monday night at 9:46 p.m. ET from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Leading the trip is Chun Wang, a billionaire from Malta who made his fortune in Bitcoin mining. He paid SpaceX an undisclosed amount for this private mission.
Wang is joined by Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge, and Australian polar explorer Eric Philips. All four are space first-timers and share a passion for polar exploration.
“We have an untraditional mission,” Mikkelsen said. “We’re not your typical NASA astronauts. …We’ve gone from nothing to being certified astronauts to fly.”
After liftoff, the rocket’s first stage returned to land on a drone ship, while the second stage sent the crew into orbit at over 17,500 mph. The rocket had to fly south — a rare move for human spaceflights — and passed over Cuba and Panama before heading into space.
This polar orbit is unusual and challenging. Most missions launch eastward from Florida to use Earth’s rotation for extra speed. Flying south, like Fram2, requires more power and reduces how much weight the rocket can carry.
“This is a private mission. You need something to say that’s different and exciting about it,” said Dr. Christopher Combs. “It’s interesting that nobody’s ever actually done a true polar orbit.”
The crew plans to carry out 22 experiments, mostly related to health, but the unique flight path seems more about adventure than science.
Fram2 - the first human spaceflight to explore Earth's polar regions - lifts off from pad 39A in Florida only 17 days after Falcon 9 successfully launched @NASA's Crew-10 to the @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/90AV1DBlPj
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 1, 2025
Philips said: “And what a perfect comparison to us being inside Dragon as we orbit around the North and South poles for three to five days… We’ve got four people locked inside … an incredibly harsh environment.”
Training included sessions in Alaska and at SpaceX’s headquarters in California. Ahead of launch, Wang posted: “Now, everything needs to be done has been done. From here on, it’s just following the procedures. Excited doesn’t belong to me anymore.”
Earlier, it was reported that the launch of NASA’s Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), meant to relieve astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, has been delayed due to a ground system issue at the launchpad. It was originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 12 from Kennedy Space Center.
