Fram2 Astronauts Touch Down in Florida Prepping for Exciting Polar Spaceflight Adventure – Spaceflight Now

Less than a month after SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission, another exciting launch is on the horizon. On March 31, at 9:47 p.m. EDT (0147 UTC), the Fram2 mission will make history as the first crew to travel in a polar orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This mission is named after the Fram, a Norwegian ship known for its Arctic and Antarctic expeditions in the 1800s. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, Resilience, will orbit the Earth’s poles over a three- to five-day mission.

The Falcon 9 rocket flying will be using booster B1085. Remarkably, this will be its sixth flight and the first time a crewed mission will launch on a booster with five previous missions.

The goals for Fram2 are ambitious. The crew will capture images and study the polar regions from space, completing 22 scientific experiments. This includes research on sleep patterns, glucose monitoring for diabetic astronauts, and a unique study on how female reproductive hormones react in microgravity.

Crew member Eric Philips, a medical officer and polar guide, expressed enthusiasm about the experiments, particularly the first X-ray scans in space. This could pave the way for managing astronauts’ bone health on long missions, like those to Mars. They will also attempt to grow oyster mushrooms in space, a project aptly named Mission MushVroom, to explore sustainable food sources for future astronauts.

The crew includes Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Pilot Rabea Rogge, and the mission’s financial backer, Chun Wang. All four astronauts are flying to space for the first time, with Wang funding the mission.

Mikkelsen, an experienced cinematographer, leads the effort to document their experience from space. Her production company, O2XR, has meticulously planned every shot using virtual modeling. She will capture stunning footage of the auroras, while simultaneously coordinating with photographers on Earth to match their images as part of the SolarMaX project.

Social media has ignited interest in the mission, with users eagerly discussing the crew and their groundbreaking work. This mission is a testament to how commercial space travel is evolving and opening new doors for exploration.

Fram2 promises to enhance our understanding of both our planet and the possibilities for life beyond it. It stands as a beacon for the future of space exploration, blending science, adventure, and technology.

For more on the latest space exploration efforts, check out NASA’s official page.



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