SpaceX has successfully launched the Fram2 mission. For the first time in history, a spacecraft with people on board was put into orbit around the Earth.
Frame2 mission is funded by Chun Wan Yu, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur from Malta. In addition to him, the crew also includes German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge, Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen and Australian professional polar explorer Eric Phillips. For all four members of the expedition this is the first visit to space.
Fram2 was launched on April 1. The Falcon 9 rocket put the Crew Dragon spacecraft into orbit with a perigee altitude of 202 km, apogee altitude of 413 and inclination of 90.01°. Thus, a record held for more than 60 years was broken. Previously, no spacecraft carrying humans has ever been launched into orbit with an inclination of more than 65°.
Fram2 has two main goals. The first is to photograph the Earth’s polar regions from Earth orbit. SpaceX has already released the first footage taken by the mission’s crew.
First views of Earth's polar regions from Dragon pic.twitter.com/3taP34zCeN
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 1, 2025
The mission’s second objective is to conduct research that will help expand humanity’s long-term space exploration capabilities. These include collecting data on radiation conditions above the poles, studying auroras and related geomagnetic phenomena, and conducting medical experiments, including the first X-ray of a human in space.
The flight program is designed for 86 hours. Fram2 is scheduled to return to Earth on April 4.
