History is being made as the first humans to orbit the Earth over the North and South Poles are sharing stunning images from their groundbreaking spaceflight. SpaceX's private Fram2 mission launched on Monday, March 31, sending four spaceflight novices into an unprecedented polar orbit. Notably, the Fram2 mission lifted off at 9:46 p.m. EDT (0146 GMT on April 1) and reached low-Earth orbit in just 10 minutes. After separating from the Falcon 9 launch vehicle, Resilience continued on its trailblazing journey. Now, the Fram2 crew is uploading incredible photos from their extraordinary vantage point, offering a glimpse into the awe-inspiring beauty of our planet.
A stunning video taken from SpaceX's Dragon capsule shows the view from space as it orbits Earth at a 90-degree inclination over the north and south poles.
Watch the video here:
Reacting to the video, billionaire Elon Musk wrote, "This is the first time humans have been in orbit around the poles of Earth!"
The Fram2 mission crew IS led by Chun Wang, a Maltese entrepreneur and cryptocurrency mogul. It is named after the original Fram ship that first reached the Earth's polar regions in the 1800s. The crew members, including Jannicke Mikkelsen from Norway, Rabea Rogge from Germany, and Eric Phillips from Australia, will focus on observing the northern and southern poles while conducting several experiments.
The Fram2 mission is expected to last between two to four days, during which the crew will conduct over 22 experiments and observe the polar regions from low Earth orbit. After completing their mission, the Resilience spacecraft will perform a deorbit burn, marking a first for SpaceX's crewed missions, and splash down in the Pacific Ocean. The mission's flight program is designed for 86 hours, with a scheduled return to Earth on April 4.
