Astronauts visit North and South Poles for first time aboard historic space flight
SPACE (KXAN) -- SpaceX has sent humans to the top and bottom of the world for the first time. Aboard the spacecraft Resilience, four private astronauts soared into space on Monday, March 31.
This is the first human-crewed mission that will pass over both the North and South Poles during its orbit.
Named Fram2, the three-to-five-day mission will feature the first flyovers of poles and include several scientific experiments. The mission will be the first time mushrooms are grown in space and will consist of the first X-ray performed on a human in space.
The crew of Fram2 includes cryptocurrency investor Chun Wang, Norwegian film director Jannicke Mikkelsen, polar scientist Rabea Rogge (the first German woman in space) and polar explorer Eric Philips from Australia.
Fram2 is named after the polar exploration ship Fram. That ship was used by Norwegian explorers in the late 1890s.
During the mission, the private astronauts will see some extremes. Due to the proximity to the Vernal Equinox, the astronauts will see 24 hours of darkness while passing over the South Pole and 24 hours of daylight while passing over the North Pole.
The crew will also witness atmospheric phenomena during their trip. STEVE, or the Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement, is similar to the northern lights. A streak of purple light in the sky, it is thought to be caused by space weather.
Polar flights are rare. Launching a mission north or south requires more energy to obtain orbit. Typically, missions out of Florida launch eastward and use the Earth's spin to gain speed and obtain orbit.
Also, recovery is more challenging in the event of an emergency. If something happens over the polar regions, reaching the astronauts would be challenging.
Radiation poses a greater risk as well. Earth's magnetic field is weaker at the poles, meaning astronauts will receive a higher dose. However, because this flight is relatively short, the astronauts shouldn't face too much exposure.
Communication is also an issue. There are few ground crews near the poles to help relay information.