The first four humans to orbit Earth\u2019s poles are sharing their experiences from their historic mission. In a discussion with NSF, the crew of Fram2 provided insight into their groundbreaking mission and what it\u2019s like to view Earth from polar orbit.<\/p>\n
On March 31, 2025, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with the Crew Dragon Resilience <\/i>on top. Inside the capsule was Mission Commander Chun Wang, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Pilot Rabea Rogge, and Medical Officer and Mission Specialist Eric Philips. All four of the international crew members were making their first flight to space.<\/p>\n
The launch, for the first time in history, sent humans into an orbit inclined 90 degrees, orbiting the poles as opposed to the equator. Wang, a cryptocurrency investor, self-funded the mission.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
All four crew members have a history of completing expeditions to both of Earth\u2019s poles on Earth.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople say Earth is a blue marble, a blue planet, but to us in polar orbit it\u2019s more like a frozen planet,\u201d Wang said. \u201cSo it gives you a feeling of not the Earth but another planet, an icy planet, such as Jupiter or Saturn[\u2018s moons].\u201d<\/p>\n
Compared to typical equatorial or ~50-degree inclination orbits, the crew members had a very different experience when it comes to viewing humanity from a higher perspective.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n