SpaceX changes space history: flight over the Earth’s poles
2 April 04:01
VIDEO
For the first time in history, SpaceX has launched a commercial flight during which astronauts will fly above the Earth’s poles. This is the first space flight for all crew members. This was reported by Komersant ukrainskyi with reference to SpaceX and ABC News.
The mission, called Fram2, launched on March 31, 2025 at 21:46 Pacific Time (04:46 April 1, Kyiv time) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The flight opens a new stage in the development of space tourism, allowing us to explore the Earth’s polar orbits.
Liftoff of Fram2 and the @framonauts! pic.twitter.com/XBL5juCnHQ
– SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 1, 2025
Fram2: the first flight over the poles
The Fram2 mission was named after the Norwegian ship that participated in the legendary expeditions to the North and South Poles. This flight was the first commercial project to allow people to fly over the polar regions of the Earth.
Liftoff of Fram2 and the @framonauts! pic.twitter.com/XBL5juCnHQ
– SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 1, 2025
The launch was successful, and the Dragon capsule with the crew went into orbit.
– SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 29, 2025
The mission is expected to last from 3 to 5 days, after which the spacecraft will land off the coast of California.
The crew consists of four people for whom this is the first experience in space.
This is the fourth flight for the Dragon supporting this mission, having previously flown @NASA‘s Crew-1 to the @Space_Station, @Inspiration4, and @PolarisProgram‘s Polaris Dawn pic.twitter.com/QNQ8B7BlT2
– SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 1, 2025
The team is headed by Maltese cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang. He is accompanied by Norwegian Yannicke Mikkelsen, German Rabea Rogge, and Australian Eric Phillips.
Dragon has separated from Falcon 9’s second stage pic.twitter.com/v6tv0PWZMa
– SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 1, 2025
Scientific objectives of the mission
Fram2 is not only a tourist adventure, but also an important scientific project. The crew will conduct 22 studies aimed at studying the impact of space on human health and preparing for long-duration space missions. Among the unique experiments:
- The first X-ray in space – a pioneering step for medical research beyond Earth.
- Exercises to maintain muscles and bones – testing methods to combat muscle loss in microgravity.
- Growing mushrooms in space – an experiment with food cultivation in zero gravity.
In addition, the crew will observe the Earth from the polar orbit, which opens up new opportunities to study the planet from an unusual perspective.
Return without assistance: testing autonomy
After the mission is completed, the crew plans to leave the Dragon capsule on their own without any medical or operational support.
“This will help researchers assess how well astronauts are able to perform tasks after short and long flights,” SpaceX says.
This approach will allow collecting valuable data on human adaptation to space conditions, which will be useful for future missions.
