Four space explorers are gearing up for an exciting adventure next week. They’ll launch with SpaceX on a mission called Fram2. This mission aims to explore uncharted territory in space.
The crew will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They will travel on a SpaceX Dragon capsule for a four-day trip to a polar orbit, set to begin on March 31 around 11:20 p.m. ET.
The team includes four members: Mission Commander Chun Wang from Malta, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen from Norway, Mission Pilot Rabea Rogge from Germany, and Mission Medical Officer Eric Philips from Australia. Wang handpicked this diverse crew.
The name "Fram" means "forward" in Norwegian and pays tribute to the original Fram ship, which was the first to reach Earth’s polar regions back in the 1800s. This mission marks a significant milestone, as these astronauts will be the first to see Earth’s poles from low-Earth orbit. They will fly in an orbit that is a full 90 degrees, surpassing the International Space Station’s orbit of about 51.6 degrees.
Wang expressed his excitement, saying, “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.”
Fram2 isn’t just about sightseeing; the crew will conduct 22 different research experiments during their journey. One of these is the SolarMax Mission, which will capture videos of the aurora borealis. They also aim to film STEVE, a unique phenomenon related to the Northern Lights that has only recently gained attention among scientists and enthusiasts alike.
A particularly interesting experiment involves growing oyster mushrooms in space, part of the MushVroom study. This has potential implications for future Mars missions and could also benefit agriculture on Earth.
The mission won’t shy away from medical research either. The team plans to perform the first X-ray in space using a mobile MRI device. They will also investigate how space travel affects female reproductive hormones, contributing valuable data to our understanding of health in extreme conditions.
As preparations wrap up, SpaceX reports that the crew completed their final training at the company’s headquarters in California last week. This mission not only pushes the boundaries of space exploration but also offers vital insights into both scientific and medical research.
For further details on space exploration and its impacts, visit NASA’s official site.
Check out this related article: End of an Era: Gaia Concludes Over a Decade of Milky Way Mapping – What It Means for Astronomy
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