The four-member crew of the world’s first human spaceflight mission over the Earth’s polar regions completed their mission on Friday and returned to Earth.
After nearly four days in orbit, the crew of the “Fram2” mission aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft safely splashed down at 9:19 a.m. Pacific time (1719 GMT) off the coast of Oceanside, California, marking the completion of the first-ever human spaceflight mission to explore Earth from a polar orbit and fly over the Earth’s polar regions.
It was also the first time a Dragon spacecraft carrying astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
The “Fram2” mission crew consisted of Mission Commander Chun Wang, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Mission Pilot Rabea Rogge, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips.
The crew embarked on their journey on March 31 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in the state of Florida.
Throughout their multi-day mission, the crew conducted 22 research studies designed to help advance humanity’s capabilities for long-duration space exploration and the understanding of human health in space, according to SpaceX.
Notable achievements included performing the first-ever X-ray in space, conducting exercise studies to maintain muscle and skeletal mass, and growing mushrooms in microgravity.
After safely returning to Earth, the crew exited the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterise the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after both short and long durations in space.
