Astronauts on board a SpaceX rocket are set to embark on a historic mission to reach unprecedented latitudes in orbit. The Fram2 mission aims to loop around the Earth, traveling perpendicular to its equator and reaching areas never before explored by humans in space. This marks a significant milestone, as previous crewed missions were limited to orbits of up to 65 degrees inclination to the equator.
The new mission’s location will allow astronauts to witness auroras at previously unobserved latitudes, including areas around Antarctica and Iceland. Auroras are spectacular displays of atmospheric activity, typically visible in high-latitude regions during periods of increased solar activity. Astronauts on the International Space Station have already witnessed these breathtaking phenomena from space.
Dr. Katie Herlingshaw, a space physicist at Norway’s University Center in Svalbard, worked closely with Fram2 crew member Jannicke Mikkelsen to develop the mission’s activities. Herlingshaw is also involved in an aurora-observing project that utilizes crowdsourced data from smartphones to better understand atmospheric phenomena. The dense network of observers, fueled by the widespread use of mobile devices, makes for a unique opportunity to study these events up close.
Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-aurora-physicists-are-excited-about-fram2s-private-astronauts