On April 1 at approximately 9:46 p.m., SpaceX launched its Fram2 mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch successfully placed a Dragon spacecraft into a rare polar orbit, marking a significant milestone in human spaceflight.
The Fram2 mission aims to complete a full circumnavigation of the Earth from pole to pole, an endeavor confirmed as successful by SpaceX founder Elon Musk. The mission carries four private astronauts aboard the Dragon capsule, which is currently orbiting the planet at an altitude of roughly 440 kilometers (approximately 270 miles).
During their estimated 4- to 5-day journey, the crew will cross over both the North and South Poles multiple times each day. This unique orbital path allows for unprecedented views of Earth’s polar landscapes from low-Earth orbit—images of which were recently released by SpaceX.
Elon Musk remarked, “This is the first time humans have been in orbit around the poles of Earth,” emphasizing the groundbreaking nature of the mission.
Unlike traditional missions to space stations such as the International Space Station (ISS) and China’s Tiangong, which follow orbital inclinations between 41.5 and 51.6 degrees, the Fram2 mission is utilizing a 90-degree inclination. This true polar orbit enables the spacecraft to pass directly over Earth’s polar regions, offering new scientific opportunities and visual perspectives.
Historically, crewed missions have avoided such orbits due to the complex technical demands they impose. These include higher fuel requirements, more precise trajectory planning, and increased exposure to radiation at higher latitudes—challenges documented in earlier NASA studies.
The only comparable effort was the Soviet Vostok 6 mission in 1963, which reached a 65-degree inclination—making Fram2 the first crewed mission to achieve full polar orbit.
Fram2 represents a significant step forward in commercial space exploration. Mission crew member Wang, speaking on behalf of the team, stated:
“After extensive training and dedication from our entire crew, we are honored to continue the legacy of the Fram name in an exciting era of commercial space exploration. We are proud to be the first crew to observe and capture Earth’s polar regions from this unique vantage point and to contribute to research that advances humanity’s long-duration spaceflight capabilities.”
This mission is expected to pave the way for future exploration strategies, providing vital data for understanding the polar environment and informing the next generation of space travel initiatives.
