SpaceX’s private Fram2 mission has splashed down on Earth, marking the successful conclusion of a historic polar orbit expedition. The crew of four astronauts, funded by Maltese cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang, safely returned to Earth at 12:18 p.m. ET (1618 GMT) off the coast of Oceanside, California.
The Fram2 crew, comprising Jannicke Mikkelsen from Norway, Rabea Rogge from Germany, and Australian Eric Philips, spent three days in space conducting scientific experiments and documenting their journey to witness Earth’s poles like no astronauts have before. The mission aimed to provide a novel perspective on the planet and its polar regions.
During their time in space, the crew conducted 22 science experiments, including one that captured the first X-ray of a human in space. They also studied how mushrooms grow in microgravity using the MushVroom experiment.
The crew’s return has granted opportunities for post-flight research, including brain imaging scans and on-orbit observations using high-resolution bone scanners at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Fram2 astronauts will undergo balance and coordination testing before returning to work.
This mission marks SpaceX’s 16th successful crewed recovery and its first astronaut mission to land in the Pacific Ocean. Previous missions have splashed down off the coast of Florida, but SpaceX has begun shifting those returns to the West Coast to minimize debris from Crew Dragon’s expendable trunk module during atmospheric reentry.
The Fram2 mission was funded by Chun Wang, who also served as mission commander during training and spaceflight. The success of this historic mission highlights SpaceX’s commitment to expanding human presence in space and advancing scientific research.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacexs-private-fram2-astronauts-splash-down-on-earth-ending-historic-polar-orbit-expedition