SpaceX to launch four space tourists on historic mission over Earth's polar regions

SpaceX is set to launch four thrill-seekers on a private space mission that will fly over Earth’s polar regions later this year.

The Fram2 mission, named after a historic Norwegian ship used in Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, will be led by Chinese-born entrepreneur Chun Wang. It will be the first crewed mission to explore Earth's polar regions.

It is scheduled to be the sixth private mission launched by SpaceX – after Inspiration4 in September 2021, three flights for Houston company Axiom Space and Polaris Dawn, a mission scheduled for August 26.

“Yes, I’ve been looking forward to this mission for 2.5 years now,” Mr Wang posted on X, on Tuesday.

“From mission proposal, planning, trajectory design, to crew selection, everything has been done by the customer.

“And now, here we are. Until 2021, space missions were solely the privilege of governments. Private individuals were unable to charter a space shuttle like they would do for an aeroplane.”

The mission, which will last for three to five days, will also include first-time space tourists Jannicke Mikkelsen from Norway, Australia’s Eric Philips and Germany’s Rabea Rogge.

A Falcon 9 rocket will carry the Dragon capsule to an altitude of 425km to 450km, so the crew can study unusual light emissions which resemble auroras, among other scientific research, said officials.

No date has been given for the Fram2 mission, though SpaceX indicated that it was scheduled for this year.

Who is Chun Wang?

Maltese national Mr Wang led several technology start-ups focused on artificial intelligence and environmental sustainability. He has taken part in numerous expeditions, including trekking across Greenland’s ice sheet and reaching the North Pole.

While Mr Wang will serve as mission commander for Fram2, his fellow crew members will take on roles of vehicle commander, pilot and mission specialist.

SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, is leading orbital space tourism efforts. In 2021, Inspiration4 became the first all-civilian orbiting space mission, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman.

“It was a space tourist mission, but unlike any space tourists before it. For the first time in space flight history, a private individual could rent an entire spacecraft, planned, designed and executed their own very personal mission with clear objectives,” Mr Wang said about Inspiration4. “It should never be underrated.”

SpaceX also sells flights to space infrastructure company Axiom Space, which arranges trips for clients.

Since 2022, it has carried out three missions to the International Space Station, Axiom-1, 2 and 3. It launched two Saudi astronauts, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni in 2023.

SpaceX will also provide services to the Polaris Programme, created by Mr Isaacman, founder and chief executive of payment processing company Shift4.

Polaris Dawn, the first of three missions under the programme, is scheduled for launch on August 26, and is set to feature the first spacewalk carried out by civilians.

In addition to private missions, SpaceX launches astronauts for Nasa to the ISS under the agency's commercial crew programme. It has sent eight crews so far.

Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin launches suborbital tourism flights to the edge of space.

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic also offered suborbital flights, but has ended trips on its VSS Unity spaceplane, instead developing its new Delta planes.