Fram2 facts for kids
An artist's picture of the Crew Dragon spacecraft during the Fram2 mission.
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| Mission type | Private spaceflight |
|---|---|
| Operator | SpaceX |
| Mission duration | 88 days, 6 hours and 31 minutes (in progress) 3–5 days (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Crew Dragon C207 Resilience |
| Spacecraft type | Crew Dragon |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 4 |
| Members |
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| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 1 April 2025, 01:46:50 UTC (31 March, 9:46:50 pm EDT) |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1085.6), Flight 454 |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC‑39A |
| End of mission | |
| Recovered by | MV Shannon |
| Landing site | Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles, Oceanside, or San Diego |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Polar orbit (retrograde) |
| Perigee | 202 km (126 mi) |
| Apogee | 413 km (257 mi) |
| Inclination | 90.01° |
| Period | 93 minutes, 10 seconds |
 Mission insignia |
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Fram2 is a special space mission where people travel into space. It is run by SpaceX, a company that builds rockets and spacecraft. The mission was planned by an entrepreneur named Chun Wang.
During the Fram2 mission, Chun Wang and three other people flew into space. They are Jannicke Mikkelsen, Rabea Rogge, and Eric Philips. This mission is the first time humans have flown into a polar orbit. This means their spacecraft flies over the Earth's North and South Poles. The crew will spend three to five days in space doing scientific research.
Contents
Meet the Crew
The four people flying on the Fram2 mission were announced in August 2024. They are all civilians, meaning they are not professional astronauts from a government space agency.
| Position | Crew | |
|---|---|---|
| Mission commander |  /  Chun WangFirst spaceflight |
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| Vehicle commander |  /  Jannicke MikkelsenFirst spaceflight |
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| Pilot |  Rabea RoggeFirst spaceflight |
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| Mission specialist Medical officer |
 Eric PhilipsFirst spaceflight |
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About the Mission
The Fram2 mission aims to study Earth's poles and the space around them. The spacecraft used is a Crew Dragon, which is built by SpaceX. This Crew Dragon has a special clear dome, called a cupola, that lets the crew see amazing views of Earth and space. This dome was first used on another private space mission called Inspiration4.
The mission launched from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch happened on April 1, 2025, at 1:46:50 AM UTC.
Why is it called Fram2?
The mission is named "Fram2" to honor a famous Norwegian polar exploration ship called Fram. This ship was the first to explore both the North Pole and the South Pole between 1893 and 1912. To remember this history, the crew even carried a small piece of the Fram ship's wooden deck into space with them!
Flying over the Poles
The Fram2 spacecraft entered a low Earth orbit. At its highest point, it is about 413 kilometers (257 miles) above Earth. At its lowest point, it is about 202 kilometers (126 miles) above Earth. The spacecraft flies in a special polar orbit that goes over both the North and South Poles. This is a first for a human spaceflight mission.
Because the spacecraft flies over the poles, it needed special updates to its computer programs. These updates help make sure that if there's an emergency, the capsule would land safely in the ocean, away from cities.
Science in Space
The crew on Fram2 will do several science experiments. They plan to:
- Observe and study special lights in the sky, like the aurora and other similar events.
- Do experiments on the human body in space. This includes taking the first X-ray of a person in space.
- Try to grow oyster mushrooms. If successful, these would be the first mushrooms ever grown in space!
- Send special slow-scan television images over amateur radio. These images are for student groups taking part in an event called Fram2Ham.
Even though some experts say the experiments offer limited new science, the mission is very important to the crew members. Each of them has a strong connection to polar exploration, making this journey personally meaningful.
Landing Back on Earth
The Fram2 mission is planned to end with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. This will be the first time a Crew Dragon mission lands in the Pacific. Before this, Crew Dragon missions usually landed in the Atlantic Ocean near Florida.
Landing in the Pacific allows a part of the spacecraft, called the trunk module, to stay attached longer. This part is usually thrown away before landing. By landing in the Pacific, the trunk can be directed to a very remote area of the ocean called Point Nemo. This spot is nicknamed the "spacecraft cemetery" because it's where old spacecraft parts are often aimed to fall. This way, any pieces that survive re-entry into Earth's atmosphere are unlikely to cause any harm.
Images for kids
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The official patch for the Fram2 mission.
See also
In Spanish: Fram2 para niños
