Private space tourism on the rise

The upcoming mission is the latest foray by the aerospace industry into private space tourism, which has grown fast in the United States in recent years.

Wealthy bitcoin pioneer Chun Wang has booked the mission and will be taking part in it.

"From mission proposal, planning, trajectory design, to crew selection, everything has been done by the customer," Wang said in a post on X.

Next to Rogge and Wang, the other "international adventurers" are the Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen and Australian polar explorer Eric Philips.

SpaceX has flown 13 manned missions in the last four years. It carries NASA astronauts to the International space station ISS, but has also carried out several space tourism missions, including the first in 2021, named Inspiration4. That mission was financed by American billionaire Jared Isaacman.

Quelle: DW

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Update: 26.03.2025

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SpaceX launch like no other: First astronauts to orbit Earth's poles liftoff next week

• Fram2, the first human spaceflight to orbit the poles, is scheduled to launch no earlier than 11:20 p.m. EDT on March 31.
• The SpaceX mission will be crewed by four explorers of the Arctic regions and will last three to five days.
• The crew will participate in human health research, including capturing the first X-ray image of a human body in space.

A privately-funded human space mission like no other will soon be launching from Cape Canaveral, taking four first-time astronauts on a journey over the North and South poles.

Fram2 is set to launch no earlier than 11:20 p.m. EDT on March 31 from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A. The crew will fly on a SpaceX Dragon atop a Falcon 9 rocket.

This will be the first human spaceflight to orbit the poles. Flying to a 90-degree circular orbit on a never-before-seen flight trajectory, the flight will take the crew of four explorers over the Earth's polar regions. In the 64 years humans have been flying to space, this has never been attempted.

"This new flight trajectory will unlock new possibilities for human spaceflight and provide a deeper understanding about our planet and its polar regions," a Fram2 news release said. "With the exception of the Apollo lunar missions, the North and South Poles have not been fully visible to other astronauts in orbit, including those onboard the International Space Station. To date, the highest inclination achieved by human spaceflight has been the Soviet Vostok 6 mission, at 65-degrees, in 1963."

Who is the Fram2 Crew

Much about this SpaceX flight remains cloaked in mystery. Chun Wang, a cryptocurrency businessman, is the mission commander and reportedly the one bankrolling the flight. He cofounded f2pool and stakefish, Bitcoin mining pools, according to the mission webpage.

Flying with him will be: Jannicke Mikkelsen, the vehicle commander. She is a cinematographer living in Svarlbard, which is located between Norway and the North Pole. In 2019, she was involved in a polar circumnavigation flight. Rabea Rogge is the pilot. She's a robotics engineer pursuing her doctorate in Norway. Eric Philips is a mission specialist and medical officer. He's a professional polar adventurer and guide.

 

The flight will last from three to five days, and will allow the crew to observe the polar regions from low Earth orbit.

What does the name Fram2 mean

As for the name 'Fram2', it turns out the choice is a nod to early artic exploration. The Fram was a record-breaking Norwegian ship built specifically for polar exploration. It saw three expeditions between 1893 and 1912. The ship traveled further north in its first mission than any other ship and further south on its third mission.

The crew will carry a piece of the Fram ship, on loan from the Fram museum in Norway, with them on their mission.

Fram2 participating in space health research

Like previous private SpaceX crewed missions Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn — which were led by the nominee for upcoming NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman — this crew is committed to participating in human health research.

Onboard will be an X-ray generator, allowing the crew to capture the first x-ray image of the human body off-planet. With space leaders, such as SpaceX's Elon Musk, setting sights on putting humans on Mars, space medicine will become increasingly important. On long-duration missions to Mars – or even the moon – Earth is a long distance away in the event of a medical emergency.

When is the next launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral

Technology onboard Fram2

This mission will also include more cameras than previous private missions. SpaceX engineers installed 3D-printed camera mounts in the cupola – which is the window attachment on Dragon that allows wide views of space. The cupola was last seen on Inspiration4.

According to Wang, other technology the crew will have onboard includes: four iPad minis, two iPhone Pro Max, three laptop computers, and a ham radio. In order to keep these devices powered, the crew will utilize power banks, as the Dragon is not equipped to provide much charging power.

There will also be a global competition in partnership with Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS International). Known as Fram2Ham, the ham radio community competition will be focused on polar history. While Fram2 orbits Earth, the crew will sends images of various locations of the polar regions via ham radio, but these images will be "cut and mixed up as puzzle pieces." It will be up to the participants to figure out which polar region the image is of and its historical significance.

Quelle: Florida Today

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Update: 30.03.2025

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Fram2 astronauts arrive in Florida ahead of polar spaceflight

The four astronauts of the Fram2 mission stand atop the crew access tower at Launch Complex 39A during a pad visit in mid-February. From left to right: Eric Philips, Chun Wang, Rabea Rogge, Jannicke Mikkelsen. Image: Fram2

 

Less than a month after the SpaceX Crew-10 mission blasted off to the International Space Station, another four-person crew is gearing to up launch from the same pad in Florida this time making history as the first astronauts to fly in a polar orbit.

The mission is dubbed “Fram2” in reference to the Norwegian ship, Fram, which was used for Antarctic and Arctic expeditions in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In the same spirit, the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, Resilience, will orbit the Earth over the poles during the course of a three- to five-day mission.

Fram2 is targeting launch on Monday, March 31, at 9:47 p.m. EDT (0147 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

SpaceX will use the Falcon 9 first stage booster, tail number B1085, which will be making its sixth trip to space and back. It will also mark the first time a crewed mission launches on a booster with five previous flights.

Dragon Resilience will once again be outfitted with a cupola underneath the nose cone, as it did during the Inspiration4 mission in 2021. The capsule most recently flew on the Polaris Dawn mission using the Skywalker bracing system used to support the commercial spacewalk.

The stated mission goals for Fram2 are to to conduct a mission dedictated to capturing and studying the Earth’s polar regions from a low Earth orbit (LEO) vantage point and to perform science experiments that will help further long-duration space exploration.

The crew consist of Malta resident Chun Wang, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Pilot Rabea Rogge and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips. All four of them will fly to space for the first time on this mission that is being funded by Wang for an undisclosed amount.

The four private astronauts arrived in Florida on Monday, March 24, following roughly eight months of training, at SpaceX facilities in Florida and California as well as in outdoor conditions, like a wilderness expedition in Alaska.

“As a crew, we are eager to showcase our explorational spirit and show the world the polar regions from a new angle while also showcasing how technology helps push the boundaries of how we understand Earth and Space,” said Chun Wang, the mission commander in a written response to questions from Spaceflight Now. “We’ve all dedicated our lives to exploring and sharing the polar regions with others in different ways, we have a chance to do this on a scale that no one else has ever had.”

The crew have 22 science and research experiments that will be performed during their flight. Those include sleep research in partnership with Oura Health, Inc.; glucose monitoring, which will help account for future astronauts who may be diabetic; and a women’s heath study, which will use the Hormona app and test to “analyze how the female reproductive hormones are impacted by microgravity and space radiation.”

Philips, the assigned medical officer and professional polar guide, said some of the science he’s most looking forward to are experiments that will help with long-duration spaceflight and future Mars habitation.

“Research shows that changes in bone density are measurable shortly after being exposed to microgravity. Astronauts on the ISS workout on treadmills for up to two hours per day to mitigate bone density and muscle loss,” Philips said. “Fram2 will be taking the first X-rays in space, an important step towards monitoring and treating the bones of humans flying to Mars.

“Fram2 will [also] be the first mission to cultivate and grow mushrooms in space. Successfully growing edible mushrooms in microgravity, such as oyster mushrooms, will demonstrate the capability of astronauts to produce a nutritious and sustainable in-flight food source for future missions to Mars.”

The latter experiment, dubbed Mission MushVroom, will see the growth of oyster mushrooms.

Part of the mission will also be focused on imaging the poles through both photography and videography. Mikkelsen, an award-winning Norwegian cinematographer and film director, is leading the charge on this alongside her production company, O2XR.

“My team at O2XR and I have planned out every shot from space in detail by using a virtual mockup of our capsule in our orbit,” she said. “This lets me virtually look out the Dragon windows and cupola, film with a virtual camera and attach all my virtual lenses to see what the image will look like when we are in orbit.”

Mikkelsen said she will use a reMarkable Paper Pro tablet to help calculate and note the various camera shots while on orbit. Among the equipment she’s flying and will use are O2XR previs, RED V-Raptor 8K cameras, Canon R5C cameras and a range of Canon RF lenses.

She said the reason for the wide array of equipment is to capture video in 180-degree virtual reality and in 8K to provide the best quality views of their experience. Mikkelsen said fine-tuning the selection was “an extensive process” to overcome some of the “unique challenges with planning a film production from space.”

“This is a human spaceflight and safety is our number one priority. These cameras and lenses we are bringing have gone through rigorous testing to see if they can endure our launch to space,” Mikkelsen said. “The last thing I want to discover on orbit are cameras and lenses that broke under the powerful G-forces we experience on blast-off.”

During the orbital expedition, they will be documenting the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis, which will used for further scientific study in the months and years to come. Mikkelsen said their imagery will be matched up with photographers and videographers on the Earth who will photograph the auroras simultaneously during the Fram2 mission as part of the SolarMaX project.

The quartet are set to hold a public briefing on X on Friday, March 28, to discuss their mission. An on-camera briefing is not planned ahead of liftoff.

Quelle: SN

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Update: 31.03.2025

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SpaceX to launch private astronauts on first crewed polar orbit

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 9:46 pm (0146 GMT) 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.

Quelle: SD

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Update: 1.04.2025

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On Monday, March 31 at 9:46 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched Fram2 to a polar orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

MISSION OBJECTIVES

During their multi-day mission, Dragon and the crew will explore Earth from a polar orbit and fly over Earth’s polar regions for the first time. They will also conduct 22 research designed to help advance humanity’s capabilities for long-duration space exploration and understanding of human health in space. Throughout Fram2’s time on-orbit, the crew are planning to take the first x-ray in space, perform exercise studies to maintain muscle and skeletal mass, and grow mushrooms in microgravity. Additionally, after safely returning to Earth, the crew plans to exit from the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space.

THE CREW

This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips

Quelle: SpaceX

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Bitcoin investor buys an entire SpaceX flight for the ultimate polar adventure

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A bitcoin investor who bought a SpaceX flight for himself and three polar explorers blasted off Monday night on the first rocket ride to carry people over the North and South poles.

Chun Wang, a Chinese-born entrepreneur, hurtled into orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX’s Falcon rocket steered southward over the Atlantic, putting the space tourists on a path never flown before in 64 years of human spaceflight.

Wang won’t say how much he paid Elon Musk’s SpaceX for the 3 ½-day ultimate polar adventure.

The first leg of their flight — from Florida to the South Pole — took barely a half-hour. From the targeted altitude of some 270 miles (440 kilometers), their fully automated capsule will circle the globe in roughly 1 ½ hours including 46 minutes to fly from pole to pole.

“Enjoy the views of the poles. Send us some pictures,” SpaceX Launch Control radioed once the capsule reached orbit.

Wang has already visited the polar regions in person and wants to view them from space. The trip is also about “pushing boundaries, sharing knowledge,” he said ahead of the flight.

Now a citizen of Malta, he took along three guests: Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge and Australian polar guide Eric Philips.

Mikkelsen, the first Norwegian bound for space, has flown over the poles before, but at a much lower altitude. She was part of the 2019 record-breaking mission that circumnavigated the world via the poles in a Gulfstream jet to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing.

The crew plans two dozen experiments — including taking the first human X-rays in space — and brought along more cameras than usual to document their journey called Fram2 after the Norwegian polar research ship from more than a century ago.

Until now, no space traveler had ventured beyond 65 degrees north and south latitude, just shy of the Arctic and Antarctic circles. The first woman in space, the Soviet Union’s Valentina Tereshkova, set that mark in 1963. Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, and other pioneering cosmonauts came almost as close, as did NASA shuttle astronauts in 1990.

A polar orbit is ideal for climate and Earth-mapping satellites as well as spy satellites. That’s because a spacecraft can observe the entire world each day, circling Earth from pole to pole as it rotates below.

Geir Klover, director of the Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway, where the original polar ship is on display, hopes the trip will draw more attention to climate change and the melting polar caps. He lent the crew a tiny piece of the ship’s wooden deck that bears the signature of Oscar Wisting, who with Roald Amundsen in the early 1900s became the first to reach both poles.

Wang pitched the idea of a polar flight to SpaceX in 2023, two years after U.S. tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman made the first of two chartered flights with Musk’s company. Isaacman is now in the running for NASA’s top job.

SpaceX’s Kiko Dontchev said late last week that the company is continually refining its training so “normal people” without traditional aerospace backgrounds can “hop in a capsule ... and be calm about it.”

 

Wang and his crew view the polar flight like camping in the wild and embrace the challenge.

“Spaceflight is becoming increasingly routine and, honestly, I’m happy to see that,” Wang said via X last week.

Wang said he’s been counting up his flights since his first one in 2002, flying on planes, helicopters and hot air balloons in his quest to visit every country. So far, he’s visited more than half. He arranged it so that liftoff would mark his 1,000th flight.

Quelle: AP