At the end of last month, SpaceX conducted the first-ever polar-orbit human spaceflight mission, and it’s just shared some stunning footage (below) that was captured during the epic voyage.
Launched on March 31 aboard the Crew Dragon capsule Resilience from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Fram2 became the first crewed mission to fly in a true polar orbit, passing directly over both the North and South poles.
The journey lasted just under four days, with the splashdown off the coast of California marking the first time for a SpaceX crewed mission to land in the Pacific.
The Fram2 mission was funded by Chun Wang, a Chinese-born entrepreneur and adventurer from Malta. Wang flew alongside Norwegian cinematographer Jannicke Mikkelsen, Australian polar explorer Eric Philips, and German robotics engineer Rabea Rogge. None were professional astronauts and it was the first orbital experience for all of them.
During their mission, the crew carried out more than 20 scientific experiments, which, according to SpaceX, were designed “to help advance humanity’s capabilities for long-duration space exploration.”
They included the taking of the first-ever X-ray in space to study the effects of microgravity on bone and muscle density.
They also participated in exercise studies aimed at maintaining muscle and skeletal mass while in microgravity conditions, and observed auroras and atmospheric phenomena from their unique vantage point.
While in orbit, Wang dropped regular posts on social media, including one revealing how the crew needed time to adjust to the off-Earth conditions.
“The first few hours in microgravity weren’t exactly comfortable,” Wang wrote. “Space motion sickness hit all of us — we felt nauseous and ended up vomiting a couple of times. It felt different from motion sickness in a car or at sea. You could still read on your iPad without making it worse. But even a small sip of water could upset your stomach and trigger vomiting … By the second morning, I felt completely refreshed.”
Despite the initial discomfort, the mission was considered a success and represented a step forward in commercial and private human space exploration.
And in case you were wondering, the “Fram2” name honors the legacy of the Norwegian polar research ship Fram, which was the first vessel to complete expeditions to both the North and South Poles more than 100 years ago.
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