Reaching New Heights: The Fram2 Mission to the Poles

The upcoming Fram2 mission, funded by Chinese-born cryptocurrency entrepreneur Chun Wang, is set to make history by being the first human flight to venture over the Earth's poles. The mission, scheduled to launch in late 2024, will see the Crew Dragon spacecraft, Endurance, fly at an altitude of 425 to 450 kilometers in a polar orbit, a feat never before attempted. But what drives Wang's fascination with space travel, and what can we expect from this unprecedented mission? Wang, an entrepreneur and adventurer, has been working in the cryptocurrency field for over a decade, founding companies such as F2pool and Stakefish. His interest in space travel is evident, with his social media accounts filled with accounts of witnessing SpaceX launches and documenting his flights around the world. The name "Fram2" is inspired by Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition from 1914 to 1917, and the mission's focus on studying the polar regions is a nod to this rich history. But what about the crew? Joining Wang on this historic mission are Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway, Eric Philips of Australia, and Rabea Rogge of Germany. SpaceX has announced that the crew will be studying the polar regions, leveraging insight from space physicists and citizen scientists to study unusual light emissions resembling auroras. However, some experts have expressed skepticism about the mission's ability to collect meaningful data on space weather phenomena, given the mission's short duration and limited time. Despite these concerns, the Fram2 crew will also be conducting other activities during the mission, focusing on how space affects the human body. Taking the first human X-ray images in space is a significant achievement, and the data collected will help in the development of tools needed to prepare humanity for future long-duration spaceflight.