SpaceX blasts off first human spaceflight, taking 4 astronauts on Earth's polar orbit

SpaceX launched 'Fram2,' a private astronaut mission, from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The mission is the first-ever crewed spaceflight to orbit Earth over the North and South Poles. (Photo: X)

The mission launched from SpaceX’s facilities aboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 9:46 pm ET Monday (0146 GMT Tuesday, 07:16 am IST) from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The mission aims to advance research supporting future long-duration space travel to Mars.

Named "Fram2" after the famed Norwegian ship built in the 19th century for Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, the mission will feature a range of experiments including taking the first X-ray in space and growing mushrooms in microgravity.
It's hoped that the research will support future long-duration space travel to Mars.

Crew members will attempt to exit the spacecraft without medical assistance after re-entry, helping researchers study astronauts’ post-spaceflight capabilities.

Unlike previous missions, Earth's polar regions have remained unseen by astronauts, including those aboard the ISS and Apollo missions. (Photo: AP)

The crew will conduct 22 scientific experiments during their mission. Like growing mushrooms in space, studying their growth in microgravity, taking X-rays of the human body in orbit and groundbreaking medical experiments never attempted before.

The mission is expected to conclude with a splashdown at sea upon re-entry.

Chun Wang (Mission Commander) – Chinese-born Maltese adventurer and crypto entrepreneur.

Jannicke Mikkelsen (Vehicle Commander) – Norwegian film director.

Rabea Rogge (Mission Pilot) – German robotics researcher.Eric Philips (Mission Specialist & Medical Officer) – Australian polar explorer.

SpaceX's Dragon capsule captured and shared the first-ever images of Earth's polar regions from orbit.
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk reshared the images, highlighting this historic moment.