Tech Desk 
Mar 31, 2025
SpaceX is set to launch the first human spaceflight directly over Earth´s polar regions on Monday — a days-long, privately funded orbital mission involving four astronauts.
Named "Fram2" after the famed Norwegian ship built in the 19th century for Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, the mission will feature a range of experiments including taking the first X-ray in space and growing mushrooms in microgravity.
It´s hoped that the research will support future long-duration space travel to Mars.
The crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket in a window that opens at 9:46pm from NASA´s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"With the same pioneering spirit as early polar explorers, we aim to bring back new data and knowledge to advance the long-term goals of space exploration," said Chun Wang, mission commander.
Wang, a Maltese adventurer and co-founder of crypto companies f2pool and skatefish, selected the rest of the crew: vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, a Norwegian film director; mission pilot Rabea Rogge, a robotics researcher from Germany; and mission specialist and medical officer Eric Philps, an Australian polar explorer.
The team trained for eight months in preparation for the approximately four-day trip, including a wilderness expedition in Alaska to simulate living in close quarters under harsh conditions.
Upon returning to Earth, the crew will attempt to exit the spacecraft without additional medical support — part of a study to help researchers understand how well astronauts can perform basic tasks after spaceflight.
Except for the Apollo lunar missions, Earth´s polar regions have remained out of view for astronauts, including those aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Even on Apollo they did not fly directly over the Earth´s poles.
SpaceX has carried out five private astronaut missions to date — three in collaboration with Axiom Space to the ISS, and two free-flying in Earth orbit.
The first of these was Inspiration4 in 2021, followed by Polaris Dawn, which featured the first spacewalk conducted by private astronauts.
Both free-flying missions were chartered by e-payments billionaire Jared Isaacman, a close associate of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who has also been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the next NASA administrator.
