Regardless of the controversy and disagreements, SpaceX is one of the most innovative and pioneering companies in space exploration, something even industry experts recognize.
Founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, the aerospace company has been trying for years to prove that space can indeed be a home for humans.
In fact, its main mission is to reduce the cost of extraterrestrial travel and eventually make the colonization of Mars possible.
One of SpaceX's most notable achievements was the development of the Falcon 1 rocket, which in 2008 became the first privately funded rocket to reach Earth's orbit.
Since then, the company has made great strides in launching larger, more powerful rockets like the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy.
It is currently responsible for propelling the Starship, the supership that will take us back to the moon and is still in the testing phase.
With all this technology deployment, SpaceX has played a vital role in transporting astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) over the past four years.
In 2020, the company made history by conducting the first crewed launch from U.S. Soil in nearly a decade with the Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission, in collaboration with NASA.
This milestone not only marks the return of human spaceflight from the United States, but also the first time a private company has sent astronauts to the International Space Station.
But Musk's ambition never seemed to stop, as he always wanted to go further.
The company just announced that later this year, its Falcon 9 rocket will launch the sixth commercial astronaut mission of the Dragon program, Fram2, which will be the first human spaceflight mission to explore Earth from polar orbit and fly over the polar regions of our planet for the first time.
SpaceX Crew-3 lifts off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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What is Fram2, the first crewed mission to fly over both poles?
As SpaceX explains, the mission is named after the ship that helped explorers reach the Arctic and Antarctic regions of Earth for the first time.
Fram2 will be led by Chun Wang, a Maltese entrepreneur, who intends to use the mission to "highlight the exploratory spirit of the crew, inspire curiosity and intrigue among the public and highlight how technology can help push the boundaries of discovery." Exploring Earth.
Wang will be accompanied by Norwegian spacecraft commander Jannik Mikkelsen; Australian Erik Phillips, spacecraft driver; and German missionary expert Rabih Ruge.
Fram2 will be the first human space mission to fly over and explore Earth's polar regions from orbit.
Learn more about the @framonauts mission here →
https://t.co/3InB5ybsIx pic.twitter.com/rZ2PCw0GlX
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 12, 2024
This will be the first spaceflight for the entire crew, and the mission is expected to last three to five days.
Meanwhile, Wang, Mikkelsen, Phillips, and Rogge will observe Earth’s polar regions through the Dragon spacecraft’s dome at an altitude of 425 to 450 kilometers, “leveraging the knowledge of space physicists and citizen scientists to study unusual light emissions that resemble aurora borealis.” The crew will study “continuous emissions of green flakes and purple bands similar to a phenomenon known as STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), which have been measured,” they explained, at an altitude of about 400 to 500 kilometers above Earth’s atmosphere.
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SpaceX.
As a secondary goal, those on board will participate in various studies “to better understand the effects of spaceflight on the human body.” The tests include taking the first X-ray images of humans in space, timed training tools, and studying the effects of spaceflight on behavioral health.
The aerospace company said the studies "will contribute to developing the tools needed to prepare humanity for future long-duration spaceflight." Image archive of the International Space Station in Earth's orbit.
Elon Musk built a "Death Star" to destroy the International Space Station.
Goal: Colonize Mars.
Remember, SpaceX has ambitious plans for the future.
The company is developing Starship, a fully reusable vehicle designed to carry large amounts of cargo and people to deep-space destinations like the Moon and Mars.
Over the past four years, SpaceX has launched 13 crewed space missions, safely transporting 50 people to and from Earth’s orbit and “creating new opportunities for humanity to live, work, and explore what’s possible in space.” All of these developments are necessary to achieve Musk's ultimate goal: creating a self-sustaining colony on Mars, ensuring humanity's survival in the event of a catastrophe on Earth.
Musk’s ambition never stops, and he always wants to go further.
The company just announced that later this year, its Falcon 9 rocket will launch the sixth commercial astronaut mission of the Dragon program, Fram2, which will be the first human spaceflight mission to explore Earth from polar orbit and fly over the polar regions of our planet for the first time.
As a secondary goal, those on board will participate in various studies “to better understand the effects of spaceflight on the human body.” Tests include taking the first X-ray images of humans in space, timed training tools, and studying the effects of spaceflight on behavioral health.
The aerospace company said the studies "will contribute to the development of the tools needed to prepare humanity for future long-duration spaceflight."
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