FRAM2 Polar-Orbiting Mission

FRAM2 Polar-Orbiting Mission: SpaceX launched FRAM2, a sixth private astronaut mission, on March 31, 2025, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

• About FRAM2 Polar-Orbiting Mission: This is the first-ever human spaceflight in a polar orbit, led by crypto entrepreneur Chun Wang.

o The mission will orbit Earth from pole to pole, a trajectory never traveled by humans before.

o Mission uses Crew Dragon, the only privately built spacecraft routinely flying orbital missions.

o The Crew Dragon capsule will be in a free-flying mission for 3–5 days, conducting 22 research experiments on spaceflight and microgravity effects on the human body.

• About Polar Orbit: It is a type of Low Earth Orbit (LEO), ranging from 200 km to 1,000 km in altitude. Satellites travel from pole to pole rather than west to east (as in equatorial orbits).

o Deviation of up to 10° from the North-South trajectory is still classified as a polar orbit.

• Significance of Polar Orbits: Allows full Earth coverage over time due to planetary rotation.

o Widely used for Earth observation, climate monitoring, and reconnaissance missions.

o FRAM2 is the first human mission to use a polar orbit, marking a major milestone in space exploration.