KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – In a remarkable space event unlike anything we’ve ever seen the Fram2 framonaut quartet blasted off on a spectacular nighttime journey to polar orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 31, 2025.

Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon Resilience took place right on time at 946 PM ET on Monday,  March 31, 2025 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida – soaring over the space history mural with President Kennedy/Apollo/Space Shuttle artwork at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Press Site.

The history making Fram2 mission hurled the 1st Humans on a trajectory soaring directly south at 90-degree inclination – and talking them orbiting over Earths North and South Poles.

The crew of 4 rookies comprises Mission Commander Chun Wang ( who financed the entire mission, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway, Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge of Germany, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips of Australia.

 

My self and Jean Wright met 3 members of the Fram 2 crew in January 2025 – namely Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway, Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge of Germany, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips of Australia.

Space UpClose team members Ken Kremer and Jean Wright are covering the mission as media contingent at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Press Site in Florida

Shown here are our remote camera view and press site views after launch on SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience

See here my remarkable polar Timelapse fisheye long duration streak to orbit of the SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying 4 commercial astronaut rookies on an unprecedented absolutely due south trajectory of 90 degree inclination for 1st ever human spaceflight mission with people to polar orbit over Earths North and South poles

The recycled Falcon 9 rocket roared off pad 39 heading due south on a pathway we’ve never seen before involving humans – and may never see again for a long, long time. If ever!!

FOX 35 Orlando Video featuring my prelaunch SpaceX Falcon 9 Crew Dragon and Fram2 interview and crew photos:

Watch the complete live interview on Fox 35 Orlando here at these links:

Video: https://www.fox35orlando.com/video/1615445

Video: https://www.yahoo.com/news/first-astronauts-orbit-earths-poles-201515563.html

Ken has also done Fram2 interviews on WFTV ABC 9 Orlando and WKMG CBS 6 News Orlando

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/space-news/2025/03/24/everything-to-know-about-the-historic-fram2-crewed-mission-set-to-launch-from-florida/

 

 

The mission duration is expected to be 3 to 5 days

 

The Fram2 will conduct unique science including the 1^st human x-ray in space and studying the auroras at the poles

 

The mission name is from the Norwegian ship of exploration ‘Fram’ used to explore the north and south poles a century ago

A live webcast of this mission began about one hour prior to liftoff, which you can watch on spacex.com and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.

 

The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew Crew-1 to and from the International Space Station, Inspiration4, the first all-civilian mission to orbit, and Polaris Dawn, the first commercial mission to conduct an extravehicular activity from Dragon.

This will be the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-9, RRT-1, Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1, and two Starlink missions.

Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage landed upright on the A Shortfall of Gravitas (ASOG) droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Falcon 9 first stage did not return to the Cape for a landing at LZ-1 – presumably because of the extra propellent needed to achieve polar orbit.

Mission Objectives

During their multi-day mission, Dragon and the crew will explore Earth from a polar orbit and fly over Earth’s polar regions for the first time. They will also conduct 22 research studies designed to help advance humanity’s capabilities for long-duration space exploration and understanding of human health in space.

Throughout Fram2’s time on-orbit, the crew are planning to take the first x-ray in space, perform exercise studies to maintain muscle and skeletal mass, and grow mushrooms in microgravity. Additionally, after safely returning to Earth, the crew plans to exit from the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space.

The mission studied the Earth’s poles and their space environment.

It is a free-flight mission of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which was equipped with the panoramic cupola attachment that first flew on Inspiration4.

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