SpaceX sent a Crew Dragon spacecraft into space on March 31, SpaceNews reports. The spacecraft, named Resilience, carried four astronauts on a private space mission. This mission, called Fram2, marks the sixth time SpaceX flies people without the participation of NASA. Fram2 heads into a polar orbit with a 90-degree inclination. Earlier missions, like Soviet Vostok, reached only 65 degrees.

Chun Wang leads Fram2 as mission commander. The Fram2 website states that he is a cryptocurrency businessman who co-founded f2pool and stakefish, which are among the largest Bitcoin mining pools and Ethereum staking providers.

Wang, who comes from China but now lives in Malta, planned this trip with SpaceX in August 2024. He chose a unique mission instead of visiting the International Space Station. Jannicke Mikkelsen, a Norwegian filmmaker, serves as vehicle commander. She handles the spacecraft during launch and landing. Rabea Rogge, a German robotics expert, acts as mission pilot. She helps watch the controls and collects data. Eric Philips, an Australian polar explorer, joins as mission specialist. He also acts as the medical officer.

Experiments and Innovations in Space

Fram2 will run 22 experiments from eight countries. These tests cover polar lights, crew health, and even mushroom growth in space.

The Fram2 website notes that one of the experiments capture the first human X-ray images in space. Other experiments will study blood flow restriction exercise to preserve muscle and bone mass, and grow mushrooms in microgravity as a potential space crop. Additional studies will explore sleep and stress patterns using wearable tech, continuous glucose monitoring, women’s hormonal health, motion sickness, and brain imaging immediately after landing using a portable MRI.

After three and a half days, Resilience will splash down off California. This shift from Florida avoids debris falling on land. The crew will exit the capsule alone, practicing for future moon or Mars landings.

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