Importance Score: 70 / 100 🔴
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A quartet of space tourists who journeyed around Earth’s poles concluded their orbital mission on Friday, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. This marked the end of their privately funded expedition, which offered unprecedented views of the polar regions.
Private Polar Spaceflight Concludes with Pacific Splashdown
Bitcoin investor Chun Wang financed a SpaceX flight for himself and three companions aboard a Dragon capsule. This specialized capsule featured a unique domed window, providing encompassing 360-degree views of both the Arctic and Antarctic regions, and the landscapes in between. Wang chose not to disclose the financial details of the three-and-a-half-day voyage.
First Human Polar Orbit in 50 Years
The group, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Monday evening, made their return off the coast of Southern California. This mission represented the first human spaceflight to traverse the globe via the polar extremes and notably, the first Pacific Ocean splashdown for a crewed spacecraft in half a century.
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Crew and Voyage Details
Wang, born in China and now a Maltese citizen, extended invitations to Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics expert Rabea Rogge, and Australian polar specialist Eric Philips. All participants shared in the remarkable vistas throughout their space journey.
Views from Orbit
“It’s incredibly grand because it’s like another type of desert, extending continuously,” Rogge remarked in a video shared by Wang on X, while observing Earth from orbit.
Documenting the Polar Regions
Mikkelsen brought extensive camera gear onboard the capsule and dedicated much of her time to capturing the experience through her lens.
Space Motion Sickness and Scientific Experiments
According to Wang, all four individuals experienced space motion sickness upon achieving orbit. However, by the second day, their condition improved, and they promptly opened the window cover directly above the South Pole, as communicated via X.
Science Aboard Fram2
Beyond documenting the poles from an altitude of 270 miles (430 kilometers), Wang and his team conducted the first medical X-rays in space as a pioneering test. They also performed approximately two dozen additional scientific experiments. Their mission was named Fram2, paying homage to the Norwegian vessel that transported explorers to the poles over a century ago. A fragment of the original ship’s wooden deck was carried into space with the crew.
Post-Splashdown Procedures and Safety
Medical evaluations of the crew continued immediately after splashdown. All four exited the capsule unaided, carrying bags of equipment to allow researchers to assess their stability upon returning to Earth’s gravity. They showed elation by pumping their fists.
Pacific Splashdown for Enhanced Safety
SpaceX stated that the decision to shift splashdown locations from Florida, starting with this mission, was driven by safety considerations. The company indicated that Pacific splashdowns will ensure that any remnants of the jettisoned trunk – discarded late in the flight – safely descend into the ocean.
Historical Context
The last individuals returning from space to the Pacific Ocean were the three NASA astronauts of the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission.