Ambitious program of 22 experiments on human capabilities for long-duration space exploration

Yesterday evening, on Monday, March 31 at 9:46 pm local time (01:46 am on April 1 in Italy), a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the "Fram2" mission into polar orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The mission, which featured an unprecedented orbital profile, saw the Falcon 9's first stage land with precision on the floating platform "A Shortfall of Gravitas" in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Dragon capsule, carrying an international crew consisting of mission commander Chun Wang, vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, vehicle pilot Rabea Rogge and flight physician Eric Philips, will explore Earth from a polar orbit, flying over the polar regions of our planet for the first time.

The Fram2 mission is distinguished by an ambitious program of 22 scientific experiments, focused on advancing human capabilities for long-duration space exploration and understanding the effects of microgravity on human health. Among the most notable experiments, the crew will perform the first X-ray in space, conduct studies on physical exercise to counteract muscle and bone atrophy, and grow mushrooms in microgravity.

A key element of the mission is the assessment of the crew's ability to perform functional tasks without medical and operational assistance upon return to Earth, both after short and long stays in space. This is crucial to better understand the adaptation of the human body to the space environment and to plan future long-duration missions. The "Fram2" crew consists of astronauts making their first appearance in space. The mission was named "Fram2", probably in reference to the Norwegian ship Fram used for polar exploration, as the mission involves the first manned flight over the poles.

Below, the video of the launch: