SpaceX announced its plan to conduct the first manned space mission over the Earth’s poles, marking a new milestone in polar exploration.
The groundbreaking mission, named “Fram2” after a historical polar expedition schooner, is scheduled for later this year and is expected to last three to five days. The mission was commissioned by Chun Wang, a notable Bitcoin entrepreneur and the founder of f2pool and Stakefish, who purchased it for an undisclosed sum.
Wang, who was born in China and is now a citizen of Malta, will be joined by a team of polar experts, including Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge, and Australian polar adventurer Eric Philips. Wang shared details of the mission’s preparation on social media platform X, stating, “From mission proposal to planning, trajectory design, to crew selection, everything has been done by the customer.”
According to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, the mission aims to push the boundaries of human spaceflight, which has traditionally not exceeded a 65-degree inclination. The SpaceX Dragon capsule, equipped with an observation dome, will be used for the mission, soaring to altitudes between 265 and 280 miles.
During the flight, the crew will conduct various research activities, including capturing the first X-ray images in space and studying aurora-like light phenomena. The venture reflects the expanding reach of private space tourism, a sector that has seen significant growth in the United States over recent years.
SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, has completed 13 manned missions in the past four years, including transporting NASA astronauts and conducting space tourism missions. The next planned private mission, Polaris Dawn, will feature the first private spacewalk and is set to launch on August 26 with four crew members, including billionaire Jared Isaacman.
Reflecting on the evolution of space missions, Wang noted, “Until 2021, space missions were solely the privilege of governments. Then @inspiration4x came along and changed everything.”
