The first four humans to orbit Earth’s poles are sharing their experiences from their historic mission. In a discussion with NSF, the crew of Fram2 provided insight into their groundbreaking mission and what it’s like to view Earth from polar orbit.
On March 31, 2025, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with the Crew Dragon Resilience on top. Inside the capsule was Mission Commander Chun Wang, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Pilot Rabea Rogge, and Medical Officer and Mission Specialist Eric Philips. All four of the international crew members were making their first flight to space.
The launch, for the first time in history, sent humans into an orbit inclined 90 degrees, orbiting the poles as opposed to the equator. Wang, a cryptocurrency investor, self-funded the mission.