Space mission by crypto billionaire on first human flight over the Earth's polar regions | DW News

Fram 2 Mission: Summary

Key Concepts:

• Polar Orbit Spaceflight: A spaceflight trajectory that passes over the Earth's North and South Poles.
• Commercial Spaceflight: Space missions funded and operated by private companies rather than government agencies.
• Radiation Exposure: The amount of ionizing radiation that a person is exposed to, which is higher at the poles.
• Long-Duration Spaceflight: Space missions that last for extended periods, such as trips to Mars.
• Emergency Egress: The process of safely exiting a spacecraft in an emergency situation.
• Biomedical Research: Scientific studies focused on understanding the effects of spaceflight on the human body.

1. Overview of the Fram 2 Mission

The Fram 2 mission is a privately funded commercial spaceflight, financed by crypto billionaire Chun Wang (also the Mission Commander). It marks the first human spaceflight to orbit over both the North and South Poles. The crew includes pilot Raba Raa, who is the first German woman in space, and other non-professional astronauts. The mission's namesake, "Fram," is derived from a famous Norwegian ship that was the first to reach both poles on Earth. A piece of the original ship is onboard.

2. Significance and Uniqueness

• First Polar Orbit: The mission is unique because it's the first time humans have flown over both poles in space. This presents technical challenges, requiring more fuel due to the inability to leverage Earth's spin for orbital insertion.
• Commercial Endeavor: Unlike government-led space programs, this mission is privately funded, representing a growing trend of space exploration driven by individual wealth and ambition.
• New Perspectives: The mission offers a novel human perspective of the polar regions, allowing for observation of atmospheric phenomena and high-definition photography of the poles in varying light conditions (complete darkness at the South Pole, complete brightness at the North Pole).

3. Scientific Objectives and Research

The crew is conducting over 20 experiments, focusing on:

• Radiation Protection: Studying the effects of high radiation exposure at the poles to develop protective measures for long-duration spaceflights.
• Health in Space: Testing the first X-ray machine in space for medical diagnostics during extended missions.
• Exercise Regimes: Evaluating specialized exercise routines to combat the physiological effects of spaceflight.
• Space Agriculture: Experimenting with growing mushrooms in space as a potential food source for long-duration missions.
• Biomedical Research: Studying the effects of space on the human body.

4. Implications for Future Space Travel

The mission aims to contribute to the knowledge base required for future long-duration spaceflights, particularly to Mars. Every space mission adds to the understanding of how the human body adapts to space.

5. Crew Composition and Training

While the crew members are not professional astronauts, they have undergone extensive training to handle flight procedures and emergency situations. SpaceX developed new emergency protocols specifically for this polar flight, considering the unique landing locations.

6. Emergency Egress Test

A significant aspect of the mission involves crew members attempting to exit the spacecraft without external medical assistance. This "exit test" simulates the challenges of landing on another planet (like Mars) and needing to perform tasks immediately after landing without support. This is a novel experience, as typical Soyuz or SpaceX landings involve assistance from ground personnel.

7. Perspectives on Women in Space

Megan Christian notes that women are still underrepresented in space exploration (around 11% depending on the definition). However, she highlights that her astronaut class at the European Space Agency is almost half women, indicating progress in gender representation.

8. Motivations Behind Private Funding

Keith Cowing suggests that individuals like Chun Wang are driven by a combination of scientific curiosity, a desire to push boundaries, and the financial means to realize their space exploration ambitions. He compares it to Jared Isaacman's self-funded flights.

9. Key Quotes

• Megan Christian: "It is the first time that humans will be flying over the the south and north pole on a on a space flight so that's pretty special."
• Keith Cowing: "We're running out of Firsts to do these days in the world and a space mission that orbits both the North and South Pole hasn't been done before."
• Keith Cowing: "So a little bit of uh a lot of fun a little bit of science."

10. Conclusion

The Fram 2 mission represents a significant step in commercial spaceflight and polar space exploration. It provides a unique opportunity to gather scientific data, test technologies, and gain insights into the challenges of long-duration space travel, while also offering a novel human perspective of the Earth's polar regions. The mission's privately funded nature highlights the growing role of individual wealth and ambition in driving space exploration.