Less than a month after SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission launched to the International Space Station, another four-person team is preparing for a historic journey. The Fram2 mission will be the first crewed spaceflight to fly in a polar orbit, offering a unique vantage point over Earth's poles.
Fram2 is scheduled to lift off on Monday, March 31, at 9:47 p.m. EDT (0147 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will fly aboard Dragon Resilience, launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket making its sixth flight—a first for a crewed mission. The mission is expected to last three to five days, during which the spacecraft will orbit Earth over the poles.
Credit SpaceX
Named after the historic Norwegian ship Fram, which was used for polar expeditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the mission embodies the same spirit of exploration.
The Crew and Their Mission Goals
The Fram2 crew consists of:
Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander and mission sponsor
Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Pilot and cinematographer
Rabea Rogge (Germany), Mission Specialist
Eric Philips (Australia), Mission Specialist and Medical Officer
All four astronauts, who trained for eight months at SpaceX facilities in Florida and California, will be making their first spaceflight. Their mission will focus on polar region imaging, scientific research, and testing technologies for long-duration space exploration.
Science and Experiments
The crew will conduct 22 science and research experiments, including:
- Sleep studies with Oura Health Inc. to monitor circadian rhythms in space.
- Glucose monitoring to assess the impact of space travel on metabolism, including insights for future diabetic astronauts.
- Women’s health research using the Hormona app to study how space radiation and microgravity affect reproductive hormones.
A highlight of the mission is Mission MushVroom, the first attempt to cultivate edible mushrooms, such as oyster mushrooms, in microgravity. This experiment could demonstrate the feasibility of growing sustainable, nutrient-rich food during long-haul space missions, such as those to Mars.
Philips, a professional polar guide, emphasized the importance of testing X-ray imaging in space, marking a first for crewed missions. "Fram2 will take the first X-rays in space—an important step toward monitoring bone density and treating astronauts on Mars," he said.
Capturing Earth’s Polar Beauty
Mikkelsen, an award-winning cinematographer, will lead efforts to document the polar regions from orbit. Using high-end gear, including RED V-Raptor 8K and Canon R5C cameras, she plans to capture 180-degree virtual reality footage. This will provide viewers with an immersive experience of spaceflight and Earth’s auroras.
Her team at O2XR has pre-visualized every shot using a virtual mockup of the capsule and its orbit to ensure precision. The crew will also collaborate with Earth-based photographers as part of the SolarMaX project, synchronizing their aurora imagery with footage captured from the ground.
The Fram2 mission aims to advance spaceflight technology and inspire future explorers by offering a rare perspective on Earth's polar regions. "We are eager to showcase our spirit of exploration and push the boundaries of how we understand Earth and space," said Wang.
The mission, funded privately by Wang, marks another milestone for commercial space exploration, combining scientific research, technological advancement, and cinematic storytelling.
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