Fram2 Crew Members: Germany's Rabea Rogge (mission specialist), ANZEC Member Eric Philips of Australia (vehicle pilot), Jannicke Mikkelsen from Norway (vehicle commander) & Chun Wang from Malta (commander)
The Fram2 mission, set to launch in late 2024, represents a groundbreaking moment in human space exploration as it will be the first crewed mission specifically focused on exploring Earth's polar regions from space. This mission, orchestrated by SpaceX, honors the spirit of the Norwegian ship Fram, known for its pivotal Arctic and Antarctic expeditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The mission will be commanded by Chun Wang, an entrepreneur and adventurer from Malta. Joining him are three other crew members: Jannicke Mikkelsen from Norway, who will serve as the vehicle commander; ANZEC Member Eric Philips of Australia, the vehicle pilot; and Germany's Rabea Rogge, the mission specialist. Notably, all four are spaceflight rookies, marking their first ventures into space.
‘I’m incredibly excited and honoured to be part of this mission. Although I’ve dreamed of space from childhood, alot, to embark on the first human space flight over the North and South Poles is the icing on my polar career and beyond my wildest dreams’. Said Eric Philps from the SpaceX facility in Los Angeles.
Fram2's journey will be aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, launching from Florida's Space Coast. The Crew Dragon capsule carrying the crew will not dock with the International Space Station but will instead orbit Earth solo for three to five days. During this time, the crew will conduct observations of Earth's polar regions from an altitude of 425-450 km, focusing on phenomena such as unusual light emissions similar to auroras, and studying a phenomenon known as STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement).
Falcon 9 rocket with Crew Dragon spacecraft
In addition to their scientific objectives, the crew will also perform conducting biomedical research, including capturing the first-ever X-ray image of a human in space. This mission is part of SpaceX's broader effort to push the boundaries of private space exploration, following on the heels of earlier missions like Inspiration4 and several Axiom Space-operated flights.
Fram2 will be SpaceX's sixth private astronaut mission, following the trend of increasing involvement of private entities in space exploration, marking another milestone in the era of commercial spaceflight.
On behalf of all of the members of the Australia and New Zealand chapter of the Explorers Club we wish Godspeed to our first astronaut, Eric Phillips.
Todd Tai
The Explorers Club, Australia and New Zealand Chapter
