Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Chun Wang has embarked on a groundbreaking spaceflight aboard SpaceX’s Fram2 mission, marking the first human journey over both the North and South Poles. The mission, financed by Wang, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 9:46 p.m. EDT on March 31, 2025, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft.
Wang, a Maltese investor and co-founder of Stakefish and F2Pool, is known for his influence in Bitcoin mining and Ethereum staking. Despite his prominence in the blockchain industry, he has maintained a low profile, making his leadership in this mission a rare public appearance. The exact cost of the privately funded mission remains undisclosed.
Joining Wang on the three-to-five-day mission are Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics expert Rabea Rogge, and Australian polar explorer Eric Phillips. The crew will conduct 22 scientific experiments, focusing on the effects of spaceflight and microgravity on the human body. Unlike previous private astronaut missions, Fram2 will not dock with the International Space Station, instead remaining in free flight throughout its journey.
The mission’s polar orbit, set at 90 degrees inclination, ensures the crew will pass directly over both poles—an unprecedented trajectory in human spaceflight. The spacecraft is equipped with a panoramic cupola, allowing the astronauts to observe Earth’s poles from space. The mission’s name, Fram2, pays homage to the Norwegian exploration ship Fram, which played a key role in Arctic expeditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Resilience was selected for the mission after Crew Dragon Endurance was reassigned to NASA’s Crew-10 mission. The spacecraft will orbit Earth at an altitude of 430 km (270 mi), completing a full orbit approximately every 93 minutes. The mission is expected to conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, near Los Angeles, Oceanside, or San Diego.
The Fram2 mission represents a significant milestone in private spaceflight, demonstrating the growing influence of commercial astronauts and non-governmental space exploration. SpaceX continues to dominate the private orbital spaceflight market, with Crew Dragon flights costing approximately $55 million per seat. While early private missions focused on space tourism, Fram2 highlights a shift toward scientific research and exploration, paving the way for future independent space missions.
Shogun Lin
