Fram2 astronauts begin historic polar orbit spaceflight following a launch from the Kennedy Space Center

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39A to begin the Fram2 polar orbit mission. This was the 200th orbital launch from LC-39A. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now

A historic mission took flight from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Monday night. Against the backdrop of an off-shore band of thunderstorms, four first-time astronauts soared off the pad at Launch Complex 39A onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and headed into a polar orbit.

Malta resident Chun Wang funded the orbital polar expedition and flew alongside Norwegian cinematographer, Jannicke Mikkelsen; German arctic robotics researcher, Rabea Rogge; and Australian polar guide, Eric Philips.

Liftoff of the mission, dubbed Fram2, happened at the opening of the launch window at 9:46 p.m. EDT (0146 UTC).



Heading into the launch opportunity, the 45th Weather Squadron forecast a 60 percent chance for favorable weather at the opening of the window, predicting the thunderstorms that caused some consternation by those watching the launch at the LC-39A Press Site.

On Friday, Kiko Dontchev, the vice president of Launch for SpaceX, said they were juggling a similar challenge to launch as they experienced with the Polaris Dawn flight last year.

“This mission is a little more challenging than even a normal crew mission when it comes to launch availability,” Dontchev said during a teleconference about the mission on X. “Because this is a free flier and we are not going to the space station, we not only have to worry about weather at the launch site, weather on the ascent track, but we also have to go ahead and predict weather in the recovery zone.”

The four astronauts of the Fram2 mission pose inside the suit up room near Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. From left to right: mission commander Chun Wang, vehicle pilot Rabea Rogge, vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen and mission specialist and medical officer Eric Philips. Image: Fram2

The Falcon 9 rocket supporting this mission, tail number B1085 in the SpaceX fleet launched for a sixth time. This was the second time this booster launched crew to orbit following the flight of Crew-9 to the International Space Station in September 2024.

The Fram2 mission marked the first time that a booster with five previous flights launched an astronaut mission.

SpaceX is flying the crew onboard the Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft. This is its fourth trip to space, following the launches of Crew-1, Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket climbs into the upper atmosphere as it prepares for main engine cutoff (MECO) and the separation of the rocket’s booster from its second stage. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now

One for the history books

The destination of these four astronauts for their 3.5- to 5-day mission takes them on a polar orbit at a 90 degree inclination. While this isn’t the highest inclination for a mission launching from the Space Coast (that would be the ESSA 9 weather satellite in 1969, per astronomer Jonathan McDowell) this will be the highest inclination flown by humans.

“Interestingly, the closest astronauts have ever come to flying in a true polar orbit (90 deg inclination) were the original Soviet Vostok and Voskhod cosmonauts (including Yuri Gagarin) in the early 1960s – and they only flew to around 65 deg,” Jon Edwards, vice president of Falcon and Dragon at SpaceX, wrote on X. “The space shuttle did a single mission to 62 deg in 1990. Now, in the spirit of exploration, Fram2 will take yet another bold step for humankind.”

Rabea Rogge, foreground, and Jannicke Mikkelsen, background, train inside a mockup of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft at SpaceX’s facilities in Hawthorne, California. Image: Fram2/SpaceX

Mikkelsen, an award-winning cinematographer is responsible for capturing the experience through a variety of cameras throughout the flight. She said it’s marquee moment for human spaceflight.

“My first and immediate thought is: We are leaving planet Earth. We are embarking on an epic expedition to be the first humans in a polar orbit, the last frontier of human exploration in low Earth orbit,” she said. “We are the new generation of astronauts.”

During the mission, the crew will conduct a suite of 22 science experiments and technology demonstrations. Those include experiments monitoring glucose regulation, mushroom growth and the impact of spaceflight on women’s reproductive health.

Learn more about the crew and how they came to this mission by clicking here.