Fram2, the First Human Polar-Orbit Spaceflight, Plans to Launch on March 31
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., (March 21, 2025) – Fram2, the first human spaceflight over the Earth’s polar regions, announces today that SpaceX is targeting Monday, March 31, 2025 for Falcon 9 to launch the all-international crew of four aboard a Dragon spacecraft to a 90-degree circularized orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Fram2 will have up to three launch attempts within a three-hour launch window, with SpaceX targeting 11:20 p.m. ET for liftoff.
This new flight trajectory will unlock new possibilities for human spaceflight and provide a deeper understanding about our planet and its polar regions. With the exception of the Apollo lunar missions, the North and South Poles have not been fully visible to other astronauts in orbit, including those onboard the International Space Station. To date, the highest inclination achieved by human spaceflight has been the Soviet Vostok 6 mission, at 65-degrees, in 1963.
Building on the rich history of polar exploration tied to its namesake, Fram2 will view the polar regions from new heights. The mission, which was named after the original Fram ship that first reached the Earth’s polar regions in the 1800s, honors the adventuring spirit of early polar explorers while reaching new milestones for technology, commercial space travel and research.
“After extensive training and dedication from our entire crew, we are honored to continue the legacy of the Fram name in an exciting era of commercial space exploration,” said Chun Wang, mission commander. “We are thankful for this opportunity, and we are grateful to SpaceX for making this mission a reality - we are excited to be the first crew to view and capture the Earth’s polar regions from low-Earth orbit and support important research to help advance humanity’s capabilities for long-duration space exploration.”
The Fram2 crew includes:
Chun Wang, Mission Commander,
is an entrepreneur and adventurer from Malta. From an early age, Chun dreamed of both exploring the polar regions of the Earth and traveling to space and in his pursuit of this goal, began exploring and learning more about both frontiers. He selected a crew of international adventurers that he met through these pursuits and is eager to complete this historic mission.
Jannicke Mikkelsen, Vehicle Commander,
is a Norwegian film director and cinematographer specializing in fringe technology that includes creating next-generation technology for movies shot in remote and hazardous environments such as the Arctic, ocean, aviation and space. In 2019, Jannicke served as Payload Specialist on the record-breaking polar circumnavigation flight One More Orbit mission in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11. She is an experienced storyteller and looks forward to utilizing technology to share the polar region with the world.
Rabea Rogge, Mission Pilot,
is a robotics researcher from Germany, currently pursuing her PhD in Norway. She has always been fascinated by extreme environments and studies them to understand the current limits of our world – and learn how to push beyond them. Her work spans unique topics that include leading satellite missions to ocean robotics in the Arctic.
Eric Philips, Mission Specialist and Medical Officer,
is an Australian professional polar adventurer and guide who has completed numerous ski expeditions to the North and South Poles. He is co-founder of the International Polar Guides Association and co-creator of the Polar Expeditions Classification Scheme, which has earned him international recognition and respect.
Throughout the nearly four-day mission, the Fram2 crew will capture data about the polar regions to be shared with a broad audience, conduct a range of experiments that will expand humanity’s understanding of the poles and space travel, and share several updates via Starlink throughout their time in space. Additional aspects of the mission include:
● In collaboration with the University Center of Svalbard, Fram2 will support the SolarMaX Mission to film aurora-like phenomena to create an open-source database of aurora photographs for researchers and citizen scientists. The crew plans to study green fragments and mauve ribbons of continuous emissions comparable to the phenomenon known as STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), which has been measured at an altitude of approximately 400 - 500 km above Earth’s atmosphere. More information about the 20+ experiments planned for this mission will be shared in the days leading up to launch.
● The crew has teamed up with Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS International), to host Fram2Ham, a polar history focused competition for the ham radio community. While the crew orbits Earth, they will transmit images of various locations – but with a twist as they’ll be cut and mixed up as puzzle pieces. Participants from around the globe will assemble the pieces, identify the location and uncover its significance to polar history.
● Passionate about helping young people experience space, the crew worked with ootiboo to create The Blue Marble Project. The crew will answer 12 questions from students in Europe while in space and record the experience, so students will see themselves floating next to an astronaut.
● In addition, the crew will bring significant artifacts from history with them to space including a piece of the original Fram ship deck on loan from the Fram Museum in Norway; a historical medal from the collection of the German Museum of Technology in Berlin, which commemorates the aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal; and The Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication from the Starmus Festival, which recognizes the work of those helping to promote the public awareness of science.
The Fram2 crew is in the final stages of essential training activities. Over the last eight months, the crew completed simulation training on the launch vehicle and spacecraft, orbital mechanics, operating in microgravity, high gravity, zero gravity, and other forms of stress testing. This also includes emergency preparedness training, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial and full mission simulations. The crew also participated in additional activities, including a wilderness excursion in Alaska, to ensure they are well-prepared to face close quarters and harsh conditions before going off into space.
To follow the latest information and news from the mission, follow the mission via the Fram2 website (F2.com) and social media channels (@framonauts) for updates.
About Fram2
Fram2 is the first polar-orbit human spaceflight mission designed to fly over the Earth’s polar regions. It is named after the Fram ship, which was built in the 1800s and helped explorers first reach the Earth’s polar regions. Fram is Norwegian for “Forward” and was the name of the legendary ship designed to function in the icy polar waters used by some of the first crews to explore the Arctic in the late 1800s. The Fram2 crew consists of Mission Commander Chun Wang, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Mission Pilot Rabea Rogge, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips. Each crewmember has significant experience exploring and capturing the polar regions and brings a unique expertise and perspective to support Fram2. Fram2 has two main goals: to be the first crew to view and capture the Earth’s polar regions from lowEarth orbit and conduct research to help advance humanity’s capabilities for long-duration space exploration. The nearly four-day mission will take place on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than March 31, 2025. Follow the mission on social media via X (@framonauts) and visit F2.com for updates.
