SpaceX Announces First Human Mission, Fram2, to Fly Over Earth’s Poles

SpaceX has revealed plans to launch the inaugural human spaceflight over Earth’s poles, with the Fram2 mission potentially taking place before the end of the year. 

This private mission will be led by Chun Wang, a Chinese-born entrepreneur known for his work in cryptocurrency. Accompanying Wang on this groundbreaking voyage will be a polar explorer, a roboticist, and a filmmaker, all of whom have become close friends of his in recent years.

Fram2 Mission Overview

Named after the Norwegian research vessel Fram, the Fram2 mission is set to launch into a polar orbit from SpaceX’s facility in Florida. The spacecraft will travel directly over the North and South Poles, with the mission expected to last between three and five days. 

The timing has been carefully chosen to coincide with the Southern Hemisphere’s summer solstice, allowing for optimal daylight conditions for observation and photography as the mission passes over Antarctica.

The crew of four will journey aboard the Crew Dragon Endurance, a spacecraft named after Ernest Shackleton’s famous ship, which was entrapped and eventually sank in Antarctic ice about a century ago. 

The spacecraft will be equipped with a cupola specifically designed for photography and filming to capture the unique perspectives of this mission.

SpaceX’s Growing Legacy in Private Spaceflight

Fram2 will be SpaceX’s third private mission using the Crew Dragon spacecraft. This follows the Inspiration4 mission in 2021, funded and commanded by American entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, and the upcoming Polaris Dawn mission, scheduled to launch later this month. Wang has modelled Fram2’s crew composition and public outreach on the successful framework established by Isaacman.

About Chun Wang

Chun Wang, originally from China, became an early participant in bitcoin mining. 

“I learned about bitcoin in 2011 and started mining shortly after,” 

By 2013, he had established F2Pool, China’s first bitcoin mining pool, enabling miners to pool their resources and share in the earnings. 

Wang later decentralized his company, moving to Thailand in 2015 and eventually relocating to South Korea. Now a citizen of Malta, Wang has spent much of his time since 2021 travelling, with a particular interest in cold regions such as Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago.

Wang became a billionaire in 2021 as the value of bitcoin, dogecoin, and other cryptocurrencies soared. 

His longstanding fascination with space led him to begin discussions with SpaceX about securing a seat on a private Dragon mission. By 2023, these discussions culminated in Wang purchasing an entire mission, allowing him to dictate its objectives. His affinity for cold climates made a polar mission the perfect choice.

Historic Milestone in Spaceflight

The Soviet Vostok 6 mission in 1963, piloted by Valentina Tereshkova, currently holds the record for the highest inclination flight by a human spacecraft, reaching an inclination of 65.1 degrees. Fram2 is set to break this record by flying directly over both poles multiple times, representing a significant milestone in the annals of human space exploration.