A new chapter in private space exploration has just opened. At 9:46 p.m. EDT on April 1, 2025, SpaceX launched four astronauts into an unprecedented polar orbit aboard the Fram2 mission.
The mission is named after Fram, the legendary Norwegian exploration ship used on polar expeditions. Fittingly, Fram2 now becomes the first human spaceflight to mirror those journeys—this time from above. While most human spaceflights follow orbital inclinations between 28.5 and 51.6 degrees, Fram2 broke the previous record held by the Soviet Union’s Vostok 6 in 1963 (which had a 65-degree inclination) by entering a true 90-degree polar orbit.
This trajectory will carry the spacecraft directly over the North and South Poles 55 times across a span of three to five days. If the mission lasted long enough, the Dragon capsule would eventually pass over every point on Earth.
Unlike satellites, no crewed mission has previously attempted a polar orbit. The main reason is difficulty. A polar trajectory demands more fuel, as it forgoes the momentum boost from Earth’s rotation. The Earth’s equatorial bulge adds gravitational instability, and there’s increased atmospheric drag in the polar regions.
There are also operational challenges. Over the poles, the spacecraft exits the protection of Earth’s magnetic field, exposing the crew to heightened cosmic radiation. Transitions between sunlight and darkness are more abrupt, causing rapid temperature swings. Communication becomes harder as polar regions are not well supported by ground stations. Reentry is also more complicated due to fewer emergency landing options.
Fram2 carries four astronauts. Chun Wang is serving as Mission Commander, Jannicke Mikkelsen as Vehicle Commander, Rabea Rogge as Vehicle Pilot, and Eric Philips as Mission Specialist and Medical Officer.
While in orbit, the crew will perform a range of unique experiments. These include the first anatomical X-rays taken in space, amateur television broadcasts for ham radio enthusiasts, and the cultivation of oyster mushrooms in microgravity. There are no plans to cook them, though one can only imagine how good they’d taste sautéed in butter with coarse salt—toast would complicate things.
The Dragon capsule used for Fram2 has an impressive track record. It previously supported missions like Crew-1 to the International Space Station, Inspiration4 (the first all-civilian orbital mission), and Polaris Dawn (which featured a commercial spacewalk). The Falcon 9 booster that launched Fram2 has now flown six times and returned safely to the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.
Mission Commander Chun Wang emphasized the spirit behind the flight. “Our mission honors the spirit of exploration that the original Fram represented. We’re proud to be the first to view Earth’s polar regions from low-Earth orbit and contribute to the science needed for long-duration space travel.”
Source: SpaceX
