KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — The Fram2 mission will be the first human spaceflight around Earth’s polar regions, as the commander shares with Spectrum News what this new adventure means to him.

The Chinese-born Chun Wang is known for many things, such as being an entrepreneur and a cryptocurrency investor as he is currently living in Svalbard, a group of Norwegian Islands.

He enjoys exploring icy regions and flying, but with his Fram2 mission that he funded, he is combining the two as he and three others will go to space for the first time.

And it will be his 1,000th flight.

“I have always been interested in space and had ongoing conversations with SpaceX about a potential mission. Since I spent a lot of time in Svalbard, I really wanted a chance to fly over this place. I’ve wanted to explore space since I was a kid and am proud to be part of the advancement of the commercial space industry — especially in the last few years,” he explained to Spectrum News in an email as he was preparing for the launch.

The private and all citizen Fram2 mission is currently set to launch at 9:46 p.m. ET on Monday, March 31, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. (Editor's note: It was previously stated the launch would be at 11:20 p.m. ET.)

The four novice space explorers will climb into SpaceX’s Dragon capsule named Resilience and become the first humans to do a 90-degree circularized orbit, or polar orbit.

He said this will be a unique view of the polar regions that people have not seen from such a height.

“I’m very excited to see what it’s like to view these regions from space. While we’ve seen maps and imagery, we’re going to have a chance to look down and take it all in live, then share what we’ve seen with the rest of the world after the mission,” Wang shared.

While they will take in the sights, they will also conduct various forms of experiments and collecting data.

The Fram2 mission — named after the Fram ship that was the first to reach Earth’s polar regions in the late 1800s and early 1900s — is supporting the SolarMaX project to help take aurora photos.

The crewmembers are also helping the Blue Marble Project, which aims to get children interested in space. A dozen students submitted questions that will be answered in space.

“In addition to bringing the world a new view of the polar regions that are so important to us, we want to share the story and heritage of the Fram ship and show that space is ultimately going to be for all people and nations. We also have a lot of research goals we’ve previewed that we are looking forward to completing,” he said.

The Fram2 has not yet released all the experiments it will be conducting.

Mission pilot and soon-to-be first German woman in space Rabea Rogge, left, Eric Philips, mission specialist and medical officer, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen and Cmdr. Chun Wang are seen in this undated training photo for the private Fram2 polar mission. (Fram2)

A lot of training before going to space

The 42-year-old Wang said for the last eight months, he and his team have been doing various forms of training to prepare for the three-to-five-day mission.

Some of the training included simulations of the Dragon and the Falcon 9 rocket, orbital mechanics, working in microgravity and different forms of stress testing.

“This also covered emergency preparedness training, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial and full mission simulations,” he said.

But there were other forms of training that they did, such as a wilderness excursion in a popular cold place.

“We also did some of our own extra activities, including a wilderness excursion to Alaska we shared on our social channels, to make sure we were ready for a lot of quality time together on-orbit,” Wang said.

This training is very similar to what Scott Poteet and his crew members of the Polar Dawn mission experienced, as Poteet explained to Spectrum News.

Meet the crew

As mentioned, Wang will not be flying alone. His crew is: Jannicke Mikkelsen, vehicle commander; Rabea Rogge, mission pilot and the first German woman in space; and Eric Philips, mission specialist and medical officer.

Wang shared how he selected his crewmembers.

“This crew has a shared love and passion for the polar regions. Jannicke and I are neighbors when I am in Svalbard, and she has a lot of relevant experience that makes her a great fit for what we’re trying to do. I first met Eric and Rabea on a ski expedition on Svalbard in April 2023. Eric has been guiding missions to the North Pole and South Pole for years, while Rabea has worked on a CubeSat project. Both of them love space and have polar experience, so we’ve become a great team with a special bond,” he wrote.

What the mission means to Wang

Wang shared that the Fram2 mission is a combination of his love for adventure and exploration.

“This mission is the culmination of all the many adventures and frontiers I’ve had the chance to visit here on Earth. The crew and I are excited to share our love of the polar regions in a new and exciting way,” he said.

While he has no plans to return to space, officially, he does think private space travel has only just begun.

“While I don’t have any official plans, I think the opportunities for private space travel are just beginning and I am excited to see what’s ahead for all of us,” Wang said.