SpaceX to launch first human mission directly over Earth’s poles
Four astronauts will board the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to conduct the first human spaceflight directly over Earth’s polar regions. Photo / Getty Images
SpaceX is set to launch the first human spaceflight directly over Earth’s polar regions tomorrow – a days-long, privately funded orbital mission involving four astronauts.
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.
The crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket in a window that opens at 9.46pm local time (2.46pm) from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
“With the same pioneering spirit as early polar explorers, we aim to bring back new data and knowledge to advance the long-term goals of space exploration,” said Chun Wang, mission commander.
