By Passant Rabie Published March 31, 2025 | Comments (0) | The Dragon crew vehicle on the launch mount ahead of the Fram2 mission. C&J Images Four amateur astronauts are about to venture where no other crew has gone before, orbiting Earths polar region to better understand how humans fare in space. SpaceXs Fram2 mission is set for liftoff on Monday at 9:46 p.m. ET, launching from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will launch a private crew of astronauts on board a Dragon spacecraft, where they will spend three to five days admiring our planet from a unique polar orbit. SpaceX will stream the launch live on its website and X account, beginning around an hour before liftoff. Should the launch need to be postponed, a backup opportunity is available on Tuesday, April 1, depending on weather conditions. The Fram2 mission crew. Credit: SpaceX The crew of first-time astronauts includes Chun Wang of Malta, who founded the Bitcoin mining companies f2pool and stakefish, and is leading Fram2 and reportedly funding the mission as well; Jannicke Mikkelsen, a Norwegian cinematographer; Eric Philips, an Australian polar adventurer; and Rabea Rogge, a German robotics researcher. Although the space tourists have no prior spaceflight experience, they will go where no crew has gone before. The Dragon spacecraft will fly the astronauts over the planets polar regions at an altitude of around 265 to 280 miles (425 to 450 kilometers) above the ground, where they will fly a polar orbit at an inclination of about 60 to 90 degrees to the equator. If successful, Fram2 will go down in history as the first human crew to orbit Earths poles. During the mission, the astronauts will perform 22 research studies designed to help advance humanitys capabilities for long-duration space exploration and understanding of human health in space, according to SpaceX. The crew will attempt to take the first X-ray in space, perform exercise studies to maintain muscle and skeletal mass, and grow mushrooms in microgravity. The astronauts are also planning on studying the aurora-like phenomenon called STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), known for its hazy purple and green streaks across the sky. Once back on Earth, the crew will exit the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space, SpaceX wrote.The Dragon crew vehicle being used for Fram2 previously flew SpaceXs Polaris Dawn mission, whichpulled off the first commercial spacewalk in history. SpaceX is not playing games with its private missions, which go way beyond your basic space tourism.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Thomas Maxwell Published March 31, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published March 31, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published March 27, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published March 26, 2025 By Matthew Gault Published March 25, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published March 25, 2025