SpaceX successfully launched the Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of a unique private mission Fram2, during which, for the first time in history, an entirely civilian crew entered the Earth's polar orbit. The launch was broadcast live on the official SpaceX page on the social network X, gazeta.ru reports.
The crew consists of four members from different countries: Maltese entrepreneur of Chinese origin Chun Wang, German Arctic robotics specialist Rabeya Patricia Rogge, Australian polar explorer Eric Phillips and Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen. Financial details of the project are not disclosed.
The launch took place Monday from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A at 9:46 p.m. ET. The spacecraft will fly at an altitude of 260-280 miles (425-450 kilometers) for three to five days without docking with the International Space Station.
The mission program includes 22 scientific experiments, including collecting information about polar ice caps and climate change, studying the effects of spaceflight on the human body (including the first-of-its-kind X-ray studies of crew members), and studying extreme terrestrial conditions. The results of the Fram2 mission are expected to significantly enrich the understanding of climate change processes on Earth.
