Fram2 Mission Crew Visit NASA's Johnson Space Center for Medical Research

Fram2 Mission Crew Visit NASA's Johnson Space Center for Medical Research

The Fram2 Mission crew members were the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space. The Earth's poles are subject to higher rates of radiation and have been avoided until this mission. After nearly four days of flying in a polar orbit to explore the Earth’s polar regions for the first time, the Fram2 crew and their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully returned to Earth on Friday, April 4, 2025, splashing down off the coast of California. This was the first Dragon human spaceflight mission to splash down in the Pacific Ocean as Dragon recovery returns to the West Coast.

The University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine in Canada has performed studies of accelerated and permanent bone loss among astronauts due to prolonged weightlessness. Their studies have been funded by the Canadian Space Agency in partnership with the European Space Agency, NASA and have involved astronauts from North America, Europe, and Asia.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Fram2 on Monday, March 31, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Watch a replay of the landing webcast:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=fram2

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission was named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit.

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Image Credit: Fram2 Mission

Release Date: April 6, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Fram2 #Arctic #Antarctica #PolarOrbit #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Astronauts #ChunWang #JannickeMikkelsen #RabeaRogge #EricPhilips #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #Germany #Deutschland #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education    

Gazing at Supernova Explosions | European Southern Observatory

Gazing at Supernova Explosions | European Southern Observatory

When massive stars die, they go out with a bang! These cosmic explosions are called supernovae, and this video shows you some of the beautiful scenery they leave in their wake. They are so powerful that elements like carbon and nitrogen are forged within them, and they are so bright that astronomers can even see supernovae exploding in other galaxies. 

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Images: ESO / VPHAS+ team. Ackn. Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit / NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), F. Vogt et al., Ackn. M. Zamani / R. Fosbury (ST-ECF)
Script: J. C. Muñoz
Editing: M. Wallner

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #FoN #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Supernova #Supernovae #MilkyWayGalaxy #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

The Official Artemis II Moon Mission Crew Patch | NASA's Kennedy Space Center

The Official Artemis II Moon Mission Crew Patch | NASA's Kennedy Space Center

The official Artemis II mission crew patch. The Artemis II test flight begins when a mighty team launches the first crew of the Artemis generation. This patch designates the mission as “AII,” signifying not only the second major flight of the Artemis campaign, but also an endeavor of discovery that seeks to explore for all and by all. Framed in Apollo 8’s famous Earthrise photo, the scene of the Earth and the Moon represents the dual nature of human spaceflight, both equally compelling: The Moon represents our exploration destination, focused on discovery of the unknown. The Earth represents home, focused on the perspective we gain when we look back at our shared planet and learn what it is to be uniquely human. The orbit around Earth highlights the ongoing exploration missions that have enabled Artemis to set sights on a long-term presence on the Moon and soon, Mars.

Artemis II Insignia "Honors All": Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The crew unveiled their patch in this April 2, 2025, photo.

The official Artemis II mission crew insignia is projected on the exterior of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, April 4, 2025.

The four astronauts that will be the first to fly to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign have designed an emblem to represent their mission that references their distant destination and the home they will return to.

The crew explained the patch’s symbolism, and its play on the abbreviation of Artemis II to AII, with the following description: The Artemis II test flight begins when a mighty team launches the first crew of the Artemis generation. This patch designates the mission as “AII,” signifying not only the second major flight of the Artemis campaign, but also an endeavor of discovery that seeks to explore for all and by all. Framed in Apollo 8’s famous Earthrise photo, the scene of the Earth and the Moon represents the dual nature of human spaceflight—equally compelling: The Moon represents our exploration destination, focused on discovery of the unknown. The Earth represents home, focused on the perspective we gain when we look back at our shared planet and learn what it is to be uniquely human. The orbit around Earth highlights the ongoing exploration missions that have enabled Artemis to set sights on a long-term presence on the Moon and soon, Mars.

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), will venture around the Moon in 2026 on Artemis II. The 10-day flight will test NASA’s foundational human deep space exploration capabilities, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Orion spacecraft, for the first time with astronauts. Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Image Credits: NASA/Johnson Space Center/Robert Markowitz

Text Credit: Brandi Dean, Courtney Beasley

Release Date: April 2025

#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #ArtemisIIEmblem #ArtemisIIInsignia #ArtemisIILogo #OrionSpacecraft #CrewedMission #Astronauts #NASASLS #SpaceLaunchSystem #DeepSpace #MoonToMars  #SpaceEngineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Mars Images: April 4-5, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars Images: April 4-5, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4500

MSL - sol 4500

MSL - sol 4500

MSL - sol 4500

Mars 2020 - sol 1466

Mars 2020 - sol 1465

Mars 2020 - sol 1465

Mars 2020 - sol 1465

Support FriendsofNASA.org

Celebrating 12+ Years on Mars (2012-2024)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 4+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: April 4-5, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education

¿Qué pasa en el cielo este mes? | NASA/JPL

¿Qué pasa en el cielo este mes? | NASA/JPL

¡Atención, exploradores del cielo! Con brillantes planetas y estrellas fugaces, abril viene cargado de razones para mirar hacia arriba. Durante la noche del 21 y en la madrugada del 22, prepárate para una modesta lluvia de meteoros, las líridas. Se observan mejor desde el hemisferio norte, pero también puedes verlas desde el sur del ecuador.

Créditos: Laboratorio de Propulsión a Chorro (JPL) de la NASA / Preston Dyches
Adaptación al idioma español por el equipo de NASA en español.

Duration: 2 minutes, 47 seconds
Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #NASAenespañol #español #Meteors #LyridMeteorShower #Moon #Planets #SolarSystem #GlobularClusterM3 #Stars #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #JPL #California #Skywatching #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 73 Soyuz Rocket Rollout in Kazakhstan | International Space Station

Expedition 73 Soyuz Rocket Rollout in Kazakhstan | International Space Station

The Soyuz rocket is seen as the service structure is closed around it at the launch pad at Site 31, Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Workers are seen in a gantry around the Soyuz rocket as the service structure is closed around it at the launch pad at Site 31.

The Soyuz rocket is seen at the launch pad at Site 31 after being rolled out by train.

The Soyuz rocket is seen as it is raised into the vertical position at the launch pad.

Expedition 73 crew members: NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy of Russia, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft on April 8, 2025. They will orbit Earth twice before docking to the Pirs docking compartment just over three hours later. The trio will stay in space for an eight-month research mission.

Less than two weeks after the new crew’s arrival, NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit will return to Earth with Expedition 72 Commander Alexey Ovchinin and Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner. Ovchinin and Vagner are Roscosmos cosmonauts. The veteran crewmates will board the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship, undock from the Rassvet module, and parachute to a landing in the steppe of Kazakhstan less than three-and-a-half hours later ending a seven-month mission.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi will take over command of the space station from Ovchinin the day before he leaves with Pettit and Vagner. Expedition 72 will end and Expedition 73 will officially begin the moment the Soyuz MS-26 undocks from Rassvet.

Expedition 72 Updates:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 72 Crew

Station Commander: Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Ivan Vagner, Kirill Peskov
NASA Flight Engineers: Don Pettit, Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers 

JAXA Flight Engineer: Takuya Onishi

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Release Date: April 5, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #SoyuzRocket #SoyuzMS27Spacecraft #Союз #BaikonurCosmodrome #Kazakhstan #Cosmonauts #SergeyRyzhikov #AlexeyZubritskiy #Astronaut #JonnyKim #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Expedition73 #SpaceLaboratory #STEM #Education

The Framonauts Return Home | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

The Framonauts Return Home | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

After nearly four days of flying in a polar orbit to explore the Earth’s polar regions for the first time, the Fram2 crew and their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully returned to Earth on Friday, April 4, 2025, splashing down off the coast of California after 9am this morning Pacific Time. This was the first Dragon human spaceflight mission to splash down in the Pacific Ocean as Dragon recovery returns to the West Coast. The crew members are seen here inside the Dragon spacecraft shortly after landing.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Fram2 on Monday, March 31, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Watch a replay of the landing webcast:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=fram2

The Fram2 Mission crew members were the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space.

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission was named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit.

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Video Credit: SpaceX/Fram2 Mission

Duration: 10 seconds

Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Fram2 #Arctic #Antarctica #PolarOrbit #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Astronauts #ChunWang #JannickeMikkelsen #RabeaRogge #EricPhilips #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #PacificOcean #California #UnitedStates #Germany #Deutschland #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Dragon Spacecraft Landing | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

Dragon Spacecraft Landing | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

SpaceX Updates: "Dragon and the Framonauts splashed down off the coast of California earlier today, completing the first human spaceflight mission to explore the Earth’s polar regions! The Framonauts flew aboard Dragon’s 17th human spaceflight mission—with 66 crewmembers now having flown aboard the spacecraft—and became the first Dragon crew to splash down in the Pacific Ocean."

After nearly four days of flying in a polar orbit to explore the Earth’s polar regions for the first time, Dragon and the Fram2 crew successfully returned to Earth on Friday, April 4, 2025, splashing down off the coast of California after 9am this morning Pacific Time. This was the first Dragon human spaceflight mission to splash down in the Pacific Ocean as Dragon recovery returns to the West Coast. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Fram2 on Monday, March 31 at 9:46 p.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Watch a replay of the landing webcast:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=fram2

The Fram2 Mission's crew were the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space.

After safely returning to Earth, the crew plans to exit from the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space.

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission is named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit.

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Image Credit: SpaceX/Fram2 Mission

Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Fram2 #Arctic #Antarctica #PolarOrbit #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Astronauts #ChunWang #JannickeMikkelsen #RabeaRogge #EricPhilips #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #PacificOcean #California #UnitedStates #Germany #Deutschland #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education

Hickson 44 Galaxy Group in Leo

Hickson 44 Galaxy Group in Leo

Scanning the skies for galaxies, Canadian astronomer Paul Hickson and colleagues identified some 100 compact groups of galaxies, now appropriately called Hickson Compact Groups. The four prominent galaxies seen in this intriguing telescopic skyscape are one such group, Hickson 44. The galaxy group is about 100 million light-years distant, far beyond the spiky foreground Milky Way stars, toward the constellation Leo. 

The two spiral galaxies in the center of the image are edge-on NGC 3190 with its distinctive, warped dust lanes, and S-shaped NGC 3187. Along with the bright elliptical, NGC 3193 (above and left) they are also known as Arp 316. The spiral toward the lower right corner is NGC 3185, the 4th member of the Hickson group. Like other galaxies in Hickson groups, these show signs of distortion and enhanced star formation, evidence of a gravitational tug of war that will eventually result in galaxy mergers on a cosmic timescale. The merger process is now understood to be a normal part of the evolution of galaxies, including our own Milky Way. For scale, NGC 3190 is about 75,000 light-years across at the estimated distance of Hickson 44.

Image Credit & Copyright: Jiang Wu

Jiang's website: https://app.astrobin.com/u/175892800@qq.com#gallery
Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Hickson44 #NGC3190 #NGC3187 #NGC3193 #Arp316 #NGC3185 #GalaxyGroup #Leo #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotographers #JiangWu #Astrophotography #CitizenScience #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

NASA Artemis II Moon Mission Splashdown Recovery Test-12

NASA Artemis II Moon Mission Splashdown Recovery Test-12

Preparations for NASA’s next Artemis flight recently took to the seas as a joint NASA and U.S. Navy team, led by NASA's Ground Exploration Systems (EGS), spent a week off the coast of California practicing procedures for recovering the Artemis II spacecraft and crew.

NASA and European Space Agency astronauts took part in practicing Artemis recovery operations during Underway Recovery Test-12 onboard USS Somerset off the coast of California. During the test, NASA and Department of Defense teams practiced recovery procedure validation as NASA plans to send the Artemis II astronauts around the Moon and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. 

The Artemis II test flight will be sending NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, as well as Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a ten-day journey around the Moon and back.

Artemis II will launch no earlier than April 2026.

Check out more on this year's URT-12: https://go.nasa.gov/4i3fGxv

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Learn more about NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket: nasa.gov/sls

Follow updates on the Artemis blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Video Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Duration: 44 seconds
Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #CrewedMission #Astronauts #NASASLS #SpaceLaunchSystem #DeepSpace #MoonToMars  #SpaceEngineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #USNavy #DoD #California #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Dragon Spacecraft Splashdown | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

Dragon Spacecraft Splashdown | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

After nearly four days of flying in a polar orbit to explore the Earth’s polar regions for the first time, Dragon and the Fram2 crew successfully returned to Earth on Friday, April 4, 2025, splashing down off the coast of California after 9am this morning Pacific Time. This was the first Dragon human spaceflight mission to splash down in the Pacific Ocean as Dragon recovery returns to the West Coast. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Fram2 on Monday, March 31 at 9:46 p.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Watch the live landing webcast (and replay) here:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=fram2

The Fram2 Mission's crew were the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space.

After safely returning to Earth, the crew plans to exit from the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space.

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission is named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit.

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Video Credit: Fram2 Mission

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Fram2 #Arctic #Antarctica #PolarOrbit #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Astronauts #ChunWang #JannickeMikkelsen #RabeaRogge #EricPhilips #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #California #UnitedStates #Germany #Deutschland #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Dragon Spacecraft Deorbit | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

Dragon Spacecraft Deorbit | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

Commander Chun Wang: "Deorbit, Draco style."

The SpaceX Draco is a hypergolic liquid rocket engine designed and built by SpaceX for use on their Dragon spacecraft.

After nearly four days of flying in a polar orbit to explore the Earth’s polar regions for the first time, Dragon and the Fram2 crew returned to Earth on Friday, April 4, 2025, splashing down off the coast of California after 9am this morning Pacific Time. This was the first Dragon human spaceflight mission to splash down in the Pacific Ocean as Dragon recovery returns to the West Coast. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Fram2 on Monday, March 31 at 9:46 p.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Watch the live landing webcast (and replay) here:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=fram2

The Fram2 Mission's crew were the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space.

After safely returning to Earth, the crew plans to exit from the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space.

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission is named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit.

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Video Credit: Fram2 Mission

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Fram2 #Arctic #Antarctica #PolarOrbit #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Astronauts #ChunWang #JannickeMikkelsen #RabeaRogge #EricPhilips #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #UnitedStates #Germany #Deutschland #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Flight Day 4: Ready for Landing | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

Flight Day 4: Ready for Landing | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

    

Commander Chun Wang: "I woke up early and watched the launch of Starlink Group 11-13 on YouTube. Shortly after, SpaceX contacted us and informed us that we would be flying over Mongolia during the second stage deorbit burn. We opened the cupola and tried to observe the event, but had no luck. Still, we all enjoyed the view as we flew from the Bay of Bengal all the way to the Arctic."

After nearly four days of flying in a polar orbit to explore the Earth’s polar regions for the first time, Dragon and the Fram2 crew will return to Earth on Friday, April 4, 2025, splashing down at approximately 9:19 a.m. PT off the coast of California. This will be the first Dragon human spaceflight mission to splash down in the Pacific Ocean as Dragon recovery returns to the West Coast. Falcon 9 launched Fram2 on Monday, March 31 at 9:46 p.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about one hour prior to splashdown. Watch here:

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=fram2

The Fram2 Mission's crew are the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space.

After safely returning to Earth, the crew plans to exit from the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space.

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission is named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit. 

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Video Credit: Fram2 Mission

Duration: 15 minutes

Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Fram2 #Arctic #Antarctica #PolarOrbit #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Astronauts #ChunWang #JannickeMikkelsen #RabeaRogge #EricPhilips #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #UnitedStates #Germany #Deutschland #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: Preboarding for Spaceflight | Week of April 4, 2025

NASA's Space to Ground: Preboarding for Spaceflight | Week of April 4, 2025

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexander Zubritsky will lift off aboard the Soyuz MS-27 at 1:47 a.m. on April 8, 2025, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They will orbit Earth twice before docking to the Pirs docking compartment just over three hours later. The trio will stay in space for an eight-month research mission.

Less than two weeks after the new crew’s arrival, NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit will return to Earth with Expedition 72 Commander Alexey Ovchinin and Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner. Ovchinin and Vagner are Roscosmos cosmonauts. The veteran crewmates will board the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship, undock from the Rassvet module, and parachute to a landing in the steppe of Kazakhstan less than three-and-a-half hours later ending a seven-month mission.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi will take over command of the space station from Ovchinin the day before he leaves with Pettit and Vagner. Expedition 72 will end and Expedition 73 will officially begin the moment the Soyuz MS-26 undocks from Rassvet.

Expedition 72 Updates:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 72 Crew

Station Commander: Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Ivan Vagner, Kirill Peskov
NASA Flight Engineers: Don Pettit, Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers 

JAXA Flight Engineer: Takuya Onishi

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

For more information about STEM on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 3 minutes, 35 seconds
Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Astronauts #JonnyKim #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #InternationalCooperation #Expedition72 #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Florida & Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad Views | Fram2 Mission | SpaceX

Florida & Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad Views | Fram2 Mission | SpaceX

The Fram2 Mission's crew are the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off on March 31, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending Fram2's Crew Dragon spacecraft towards a polar orbit.

Mission Objectives

During their multi-day mission, Dragon and the crew will explore Earth from a polar orbit and fly over Earth’s polar regions for the first time. They will also conduct 22 research studies designed to help advance humanity’s capabilities for long-duration space exploration and understanding of human health in space. The crew has already taken the first x-ray in space. They will also perform exercise studies to maintain muscle and skeletal mass, and grow mushrooms in microgravity. Additionally, after safely returning to Earth, the crew plans to exit from the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space.

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission is named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit. 

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Video Credit: Fram2 Mission

Duration: 1 minute, 36 seconds

Release Date: April 3, 2025

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Flight Day 3: Arctic Views | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

Flight Day 3: Arctic Views | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

The Fram2 Mission's crew are the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space.

Mission Objectives

During their multi-day mission, Dragon and the crew will explore Earth from a polar orbit and fly over Earth’s polar regions for the first time. They will also conduct 22 research studies designed to help advance humanity’s capabilities for long-duration space exploration and understanding of human health in space. The crew has already taken the first x-ray in space. They will also perform exercise studies to maintain muscle and skeletal mass, and grow mushrooms in microgravity. Additionally, after safely returning to Earth, the crew plans to exit from the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space.

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission is named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit. 

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Video Credit: Fram2 Mission

Duration: 3 minutes, 30 seconds

Release Date: April 3, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Fram2 #Arctic #PolarOrbit #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Astronauts #ChunWang #JannickeMikkelsen #RabeaRogge #EricPhilips #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #UnitedStates #Germany #Deutschland #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education #HD #Video