SpaceX’s Fram2 Mission: Everything You Need to Know About This Spaceflight

New Delhi: Following its successful return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Crew-9 from the International Space Station, SpaceX is gearing up for another historic milestone. The upcoming Fram2 mission, slated for launch on March 31, 2025, will mark a major achievement in human space exploration. 

This mission, launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, will be the first human spaceflight to traverse Earth’s polar regions and promises groundbreaking scientific research. The Fram2 mission will be launched using SpaceX's powerful Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule. 

Meet the Crew

The Fram2 mission will be led by an international crew of four astronauts, all of whom are first-time space travelers. The crew includes:

Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta)

Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway)

Mission Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany)

Mission Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia)

Fram2’s Objectives

Fram2 will aim to achieve a unique 90-degree circular orbit, which is significantly steeper than the typical 51.6-degree orbit of previous human missions. 

X-ray Imaging in Space: Capturing the first-ever X-ray images of humans in space to better understand the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body.

Growing Mushrooms in Microgravity: Attempting to grow mushrooms in space, a potential food source for long-term missions, particularly those bound for Mars.

Investigating Space Phenomena: The crew will also investigate *Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancements* (STEVE), a mysterious light phenomenon that has puzzled scientists, especially as they fly over Earth’s polar regions.

In addition to its scientific goals, the Fram2 mission will engage the public through the Fram2Ham competition. 

Amateur radio enthusiasts will have the opportunity to decode images transmitted from space, making the mission more interactive and educational for the global audience.

Chun Wang, the mission commander, has expressed his excitement about exploring the Earth’s polar regions and capturing stunning images that could provide new insights into our planet.