Fri Apr 04 16:20:00 UTC 2025: **SpaceX’s Historic Polar Orbit Mission Concludes with Successful Splashdown**
**OCEANSIDE, CA – April 4, 2025** – SpaceX’s groundbreaking Fram2 mission concluded today with a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oceanside, California. The four-person crew, commanded by cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang, returned to Earth after a four-day journey in a polar orbit – a first for a crewed human spaceflight.
The mission launched on March 31st aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule (named Resilience) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Besides Wang, the crew consisted of Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Rabea Rogge (Germany), and Eric Phillips (Australia). During their time in orbit, the crew conducted over two dozen scientific experiments, including the first-ever cultivation of mushrooms in space and the taking of X-rays of the human body in microgravity. These experiments are expected to contribute significantly to future space exploration efforts, including potential missions to Mars.
The crew experienced some initial space motion sickness, but reported feeling refreshed by day two and sharing spectacular timelapse videos of their flight over the poles, showcasing views of Antarctica and the Arctic.
Splashdown was initially scheduled for 12:19 p.m. EDT, and SpaceX provided a live webcast of the event’s final stages, showing the Crew Dragon’s successful atmospheric re-entry, drogue chute deployment, and the deployment of the main parachutes that slowed the spacecraft’s descent before a gentle splashdown.
The Fram2 mission marks a significant milestone in private space exploration, demonstrating the feasibility and potential of privately funded missions conducting advanced scientific research in unique orbital pathways.
First Piper 